2026 Summer Newsletter Hawaii
June 29, 2026
Always Dream
Summer Newsletter ☀️📚☀️
Thank you for supporting our
‘Protect The Progress’ Campaign!
Before we get into our newsletter update, we want to say a sincere thank you to all who gave during our summer reading campaign! Your gifts helped us meet the match generously provided by Quest Foundation and ensured families in our program continue to have access to books and encouragement through the summer. Thank you!
Celebrating a Year of Dreams + What’s Ahead
We’re excited to share our full Impact Report with you in August! Until then, here’s a snapshot of the impact you’ve helped make possible over the 2025-26 (tel:202526) school year. Just look at how much reading our families did together.
As the school year comes to a close, we’re celebrating another year of helping families across Hawaiʻi build confidence, strengthen family engagement skills, and discover the joy of reading. Thanks to your support, keiki and families across our program communities experienced meaningful growth both in the classroom and at home!
These proud Super Readers from Kaʻūmana Elementary read 180+ minutes or 3 times a week in March and earned their Super Reader badge!
“My daughter comes home after school, grabs her tablet and enjoys reading a book or two, whether it’s by herself or with one of us, her parents.”
— Always Reading Parent, Mākaha Elementary
A Night to Remember – Mahalo!
What an unforgettable evening it was as we gathered in Honolulu for our Hawaiʻi Dream Gala. Our community rallied together and helped raise over $309,000 for our Always Reading program in Hawaiʻi. Mahalo nui loa to our sponsors, supporters, and guests who made this night possible.
Event Photos by Lindsay Myers Photography (https://photographybylindsay42.pixieset.com/alwaysdream/)
Event Photos by David Livingston (https://www.flickr.com/photos/alwaysdreamorg/albums/72177720333357393/)
📆 SAVE THE DATE: We’ll return to The Pacific Club on Saturday, April 24, 2027. Mark you calendars now, and we hope to see you there!
Join Us in San Francisco!
Reserve your spot before July 15th and receive our early bird discount!
https://paybee.io/in-person-event/alwaysdream/6
We are bringing our 30th anniversary celebration to San Francisco! Join us at The Palace Hotel on Saturday, October 24th for our Annual Gala. Get dressed up and help us celebrate three decades of impact.
Secure your spot before July 15th for an early bird discount! 🌟
Early Bird Discount Available Until July 15th! (https://paybee.io/in-person-event/alwaysdream/6)
Meet Ken Levin:
Our Director of Philanthropy
We’re excited to announce that Ken Levin joins the Dream Team as our new Director of Philanthropy. Based out of the Bay Area, Ken brings with him over 20 years of nonprofit experience. Most recently, he worked at Glide Foundation / Glide Memorial Church, and previously with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank and San Francisco Playhouse, where he served as the Director of Development. In his free time, you’ll find him in the kitchen cooking, baking, or making chocolate. Yum! We’re thrilled to have his passion and expertise on the team.
You can reach Ken at ken@alwaysdream.org (mailto:ken@alwaysdream.org) . Welcome, Ken!
Exciting News! Stay Tuned 👀
We’re thrilled to share that our organization has been selected to participate in Foodland’s Give Aloha Program this September!
Throughout the month of September, you can support Always Dream while shopping at Foodland, Foodland Farms, and Sack N Save locations statewide. Simply make a contribution at checkout, and Foodland and the Western Union Foundation will help amplify your impact through their annual community matching gifts program.
Stay tuned for more details on how to participate. Mahalo for helping us inspire a love of reading throughout our island communities!
Always Dream in The News
https://alwaysdream.org/media-inquiries/
📺 Hawaii News Now: (https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/04/25/kristi-yamaguchis-nonprofit-always-dream-marks-30-years-supporting-childhood-literacy/) Kristi Yamaguchiʻs Always Dream marks 30 years of impact.
🎙️ The Long Game with Mark Carpenter: (https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/03/09/long-game-kristi-yamaguchi-her-olympic-career-giving-back-hawaii/) Kristi Yamaguchi joins Mark Carpenter and Hawaii News Now to talk about the Olympics and giving back to Hawaiʻi.
📺 Inspiring Keiki to Read Daily (https://www.kitv.com/video/news/always-dream-program-expands-reading-access-across-hawaii/video_616d35a3-6f2c-5a26-a239-ac586d824e61.html) : Always Dream celebrated with Kailua Elementary students after they read 7,483 books through the Always Reading program.
https://alwaysdream.org/ways-to-give/
http://alwaysdream.org
http://instagram.com/alwaysdream
http://linkedin.com/company/alwaysdream
http://facebook.com/alwaysdreamorg
http://youtube.com/@kristiyamaguchisalwaysdream
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