Cavan Scanlan /  April 15, 2020

Aloha,

I’m Cavan Scanlan. I grew up in the Waiʻalae and Kaimukī area and teach high school English. My family and I have been humbled by the recent events of COVID-19. It’s forced us to acknowledge our privilege and examine our relationships, our kuleana, and our purpose. We have been adapting and learning to appreciate each other’s heart and spirit while we’re all at home.

Like Keith Amemiya, I cherish this island and its people. I believe Oʻahu is at a pivotal point culturally, societally, and economically. Oʻahu needs a leader to play the “long game” and not succumb to shortsightedness and political intransigence. The Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu is a roll-your-sleeves-up, nuts-and-bolts kind of job, and Keith has shown a knack for converting talk to action and rejecting excuses to achieve results.

Keith has been a key contributor to our community for decades in various capacities, so he knows Oʻahu’s needs and sees its potential. I remember first meeting Keith when I was coaching basketball and he was the Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi High School Athletic Association. He has since then proven to be a rational, dedicated, and humble man that I now call my friend.

Keith, the person, earned my trust long before he was Keith, the candidate.

A unique municipality like Oʻahu has unique demands. Keith’s strengths include prioritizing pressing issues, recognizing people’s talents, and organizing those with different perspectives to work toward the collective good. For two weeks, I worked alongside Keith in his Keiki Grab-n-Go meal program in my community at Pālolo Elementary School. While we distributed meals to students and their families, I was reminded of Keith’s many qualities, including a winning combination of vision, compassion, humility, and resolve. As Mayor, Keith will be responsive to our community’s needs as we recover together and will serve with gumption, grit, humility, and aloha.

Until then, let’s each continue to uphold our individual kuleana to keep Hawaiʻi healthy.

Aloha kekahi i kekahi,
Cavan