Aloha Petroleum Awards Grand-Prize in Video Contest

HONOLULU -- Irene Yamashita, a video production teacher at Kainalu Elementary School, took home the grand prize in Aloha Petroleum Ltd.'s inaugural "Capturing Aloha Video Contest." She will receive one year of free gas, valued at $2,600.

Honolulu-based Aloha Petroleum asked contest participants to describe the meaning of Aloha in videos lasting 30 to 60 seconds long. Yamashita's entry was one of 27 received by the convenience store and gas station operator, and was voted upon by a panel of judges.

The schoolteacher's video portrayed children in various countries passing a paper airplane to each other that unfolded to reveal the words for love and peace in different languages, with Aloha Maluhia and Hawaii featured last. The video ended with the message: "No matter where you are or what language you speak, you should always spread love and peace."

Aloha Petroleum also announced several other award winners in the contest, which ran from June 18 to Aug. 16:

• First runner-up Kim Yuen of Kapolei, Hawaii, will receive free gas for sixth months; 
   
• Second runner-up Brad Watanabe of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, will receive free gas for three months; and
   
• Honorable mentions, earning free gas for one month, were awarded to Loke Simon and Sharon Kim, both of Honolulu.

"Congratulations to Irene and our four other winners for creating such thoughtful videos that reflected their interpretations of Aloha. From scenes of Hawaii’s beautiful landscape to glimpses of charitable work done by many of Hawaii’s nonprofits, we were awestruck by the creativity of our contest participants," said Larry Adams, director of sales and marketing for Aloha Petroleum. "The Aloha spirit is a pillar of our company, and we were honored to help promote that spirit in a fun and interesting way."

In addition, Aloha Petroleum announced it will award $150 in free gas to Habilitat, a long-term drug and alcohol treatment center in Kaneohe, Hawaii, for receiving the most votes during a public voting phase on Facebook.

Aloha Petroleum Ltd. is the largest independently owned gasoline marketer and convenience store operator in Hawaii. It has more than 100 Shell-, Aloha- and Mahalo-branded fueling stations throughout the state.