Letterwinners Club names Ka‘aiali‘i as 2012 Kane Fernandez Award recipient
Former UHAA president and University of Hawai‘i football offensive lineman Mitchell Ka‘aiali‘i was presented the 2012 Kane Fernandez Community Service Award at the men's basketball game against Cal Poly on March 2 at the Stan Sheriff Center. Ka‘aiali‘i is the 12th recipient of the award, presented annually to a past UH Letterwinner who has volunteered his or her support unselfishly to further advance their community.
Ka‘aiali‘i lettered for UH from 1989-91. He is the vice president and area manager of First Hawaiian Bank’s Wahiawa branch and a former president of the Letterwinners Club who continues to serve on its board of directors. Ka‘aiali‘i is a member of the UHAA board of directors and served as its president between 2008-10. He is also a board member of ‘Ahahui Koa Ānuenue, Nā Koa Football Club, and other community non-profits such as the Hawai‘i Literacy Foundation, the Hawai‘i Children’s Cancer Foundation, the Oahu Interscholastic Association Athletic Foundation, and the Friends of ‘Iolani Palace. The award is named for the late Kane Fernandez, chairman and chief executive officer of Fernandez Entertainment, who passed away in January 2001. He was one of the original members of the UH Letterwinners Club.