HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The University of Hawaii is trying to recruit and keep more athletes by taking over fundraising.

Players and coaches say the new process is a game changer.

During recruitment as a transfer student, UH senior Allaire Berl said money did not motivate her decision to join the ‘Bows’ women’s tennis team.

“I was offered more money at other schools, and that was definitely something I thought about for a little, but once I came out and actually met the people here and just saw how hard working everyone is on the team, it was kind of a no-brainer for me to come here,” Berl recalled.

Teammate Makeilah Nepomuceno agreed, adding, “With looking at other schools, honestly nothing beat my official visit when I visited here in Hawaii. It was really about the people.”

After meeting UH women’s tennis coach Jun Hernandez, junior Hannah Galindo also felt becoming a ‘Bow “wasn’t that difficult of a decision.”

But not all recruits feel the same, as Hernandez is well aware of, after losing about 40 prospects just this year to more profitable opportunities at other schools.

“It’s always a heartbreaker, because obviously, we look for a strong student athlete, not only they’re good students, great athletes, but also good people,” Hernandez shared.

The tennis team is not alone, as others at UH have also been plagued by players who either don’t want to commit to the school, or athletes already on the roster who transfer elsewhere over funding.

Related post: Hawaii athletics director, coaches call for NIL funding to stay competitive

‘Bows women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman emphasized business partnerships involving athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NILs) are appealing deals for players.

“You cannot practice hard enough to replace a player you lose to NIL money,” Beeman pointed out. “Are we going to be able to compete with the power fours? Absolutely not, but we have to make ourselves relevant in the Mountain West.”

This week, UH’s athletics director Matt Elliott announced a new fundraising initiative to “recruit and retain elite student athletes.”

“Over the last few months, we have been developing a vision for excellence at the UH athletics department,” Elliott said in a video posted on YouTube. “This program is going to continue to grow over coming days, weeks, and months.”

The process includes NIL collaborations with local businesses, as well as direct donations to any team.

Backers used to have to contribute through third parties, but now, UH is taking over to streamline the process.

Hernandez hopes the new structure will secure quality athletes like his own players, not only for their love of the game, but also their love for Hawaii, with the motivation to stay and represent the islands well.

“Being here, I’m so so happy I chose it, it’s been the best decision I’ve ever made,” Berl shared.

Supporters are also encouraged to attend fundraising events.

Below is a list of links to UH athletics’ donation sites, as well as a calendar for fundraisers:

1. Our Team, Hawai’i’s Team Fund – Tax deductible donations to support essential operations like travel, nutrition, and student-athlete health.

2. Boost the ‘Bows Fund (Institutional NIL) – Tax deductible donations to support recruitment and retention for elite student-athletes and strengthen our scholarship resources. For each fund, you are able to support at the department-wide level or direct your gift to a specific team.

3. Non-Institutional NIL – Creates opportunities for student-athletes through partnerships with local businesses. Engage with any of the UH student-athletes registered on INFLCR. If you don’t see a specific student-athlete, let us know.

4. Events – Join us at community and fundraising events throughout the year. To see our new all-encompassing events calendar for 2025-26, click here.

Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

YPSILANTI, MI — The newest coffee shop in Ypsilanti is bringing Hawaii “vibes” to the city.

Upbeat music, leather seats and big television screens fill Ohana Lounge, 11 E. Cross St., according to Darius Smith, founder of the coffee shop. Tiki umbrellas and a small food trailer sit outside the coffee lounge.

Ohana Lounge officially opened Oct. 25 after a soft opening in July, Smith said.

Smith, 47, said the space was most recently unused, though a high-end glass bong shop occupied it over a year ago.

He also said residents typically see this type of coffee shop in larger cities, but he wanted to bring something “that doesn’t exist” to Ypsilanti.

Smith, of Saline, got inspiration for a Hawaii-themed coffee shop after he and his wife visited the state more than two years ago.

“You want to be comfortable, and I think that we captured that,” Smith said.

He said his business has been well-received by the community. He also said Ohana Lounge is the next step in his goal “to have operations inside of buildings or real estate that I could purchase” and he would like to see similar coffee shops in the future.

His latest efforts have been marketing the coffee shop, including its use of Zingerman’s coffee products. He said Ohana Lounge is the first shop in the Ypsilanti area to sell Zingerman’s coffee.

“I’m a huge fan of how much they care about their product, where things come from and to bring that aspect over is really awesome,” Smith said.

Smith said he began conversations with the Zingerman’s staff in June, a month before the soft opening.

Ohana Lounge also offers pastries from Dom Bakeries, 1305 Washtenaw Ave.

Popular menu items include the salmon lox bagel, Cobb salad and Caesar salad.

The shop also sells soups, smoothies and ice cream floats.

His plans for the next few months include promoting Ohana Lounge, preparing the space for event rentals and upgrading the menu.

Outside of his coffee shop, Smith is the founder of the Food Folks Fun Podcast Network. He produces several podcasts, including one with University of Michigan Regent Denise Ilitch.

Ohana Lounge is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.

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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A coalition of 22 states, including Hawaii, is challenging a federal demand for detailed information about SNAP recipients, arguing the Trump administration is overreaching by requesting sensitive personal data.

Federal agriculture officials say the information is needed to identify and prevent fraud in the nation’s largest food assistance program.

At a cabinet meeting Tuesday, agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins said action is imminent because those states have refused to provide the requested data, which includes names and immigration status of SNAP beneficiaries.

“So as of next week, we have begun and will begin to stop moving federal funds into those states until they comply and allow us to partner with them to root out this fraud and protect the American taxpayer,” Rollins said.

The states suing to block the requirement argue they already verify eligibility and have never shared that level of sensitive information with the federal government.

“We will always protect the SNAP recipient’s personal information,” said Joseph Campos, deputy director at Hawaii’s Department of Human Services. “There are strict guidelines and laws that dictate how, when and with whom we can share personal information. The 22 states and the District of Columbia feel this request is unlawful.”

Nationwide, about 42 million low-income Americans, roughly one in eight, rely on SNAP to buy groceries. The average benefit is roughly $190 per person per month, or just over six dollars a day. In Hawaii, about 89,000 households, an estimated 169,000 individuals, receive SNAP assistance.

U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, said the potential loss of federal funding could significantly impact Hawaii families.

“This should make everyone upset, no matter what side of the aisle they’re on,” Tokuda said. “They’re willing to literally starve keiki to kūpuna, hungry children, working families, senior citizens and veterans.”

Tokuda said the state could see tens of millions of dollars withheld.

“Just holding back administrative costs is tens of millions of dollars,” she said. “For Hawaii, we’re talking about $30 million, money that could help bring down the cost of living in our state.”

State officials say one piece of good news, at least for now, is that the administration is not threatening benefits already loaded onto SNAP cards, funds families rely on each month to put food on the table.

Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.