Sunshine in Hawaii
Forty military moms-to-be whose spouses are deployed members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, as well as the spouses of several wounded warriors, were honored with a spot of sunshine during an Operation Shower group baby shower on Tuesday, January 8, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm in Hickam Communities’ Ka Makani Community Center, which is a Lend Lease Community, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor – Hickam. Held in conjunction with the PGA TOUR’s Sony Open (Jan. 7-13, Waialae Country Club), the “You Are My Sunshine”-themed event was hosted by Esme Infante Nii, editor/host and chief executive mom at MomsInHawaii.com, a free, local online and real life community of “Moms Empowering Moms.”
Nii’s work as founder of Moms In Hawaii allows her to combine her background as a mother of two and as a journalist at The Honolulu Advertiser and USA Today. In addition to supporting the mothers of the Hawaiian Islands through Moms In Hawaii, other hats Nii wears include dance choreographer, event emcee, author, school volunteer, and promotions director of the Islandwide Crafts & Food Expos.
Sponsored by baby bedding company Carousel Designs and Lend Lease (US) Community Fund, the Operation Shower event is being conducted in partnership with Birdies for the Brave, a national military outreach initiative proudly supported by the PGA TOUR, with support from Petunia Pickle Bottom, the Sony Open in Hawaii, Friends of Hawaii Charities, Sony Hawaii and Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines.
Sunshine for Military Moms
“We are thrilled to join with Operation Shower and Birdies for the Brave to show our appreciation to these courageous military moms-to-be, who make innumerable sacrifices that enable their loved ones to so selflessly serve our country and defend our freedom,” said Allan Sicat, president of Carousel Designs and a former U.S. Army officer. “Their service and sacrifice deserve to be recognized just as much as those on the front lines, and we are delighted to do that through this special shower.”
U.S. Army veteran Marc Sierra, managing director of Lend Lease US Public Partnerships LLC and Chairman of the Board of the Lend Lease (US) Community Fund, echoed those sentiments, saying, “We are truly indebted to these women for their service and sacrifice at home, and feel privileged to have an opportunity to show our gratitude through this special celebration as part of our ongoing support for Operation Shower.”
During the shower, the moms enjoyed a delicious lunch, had the opportunity to share stories and gain comfort from other military moms-to-be in the same situation, and had the chance to win lots of raffle prizes. The highlight of the event was the presentation of Operation Shower’s signature “Shower in a Box.” Each mom will receive a box containing an array of unique, high-quality products and gift items for mothers and babies that have been generously donated by companies including supporting sponsor Petunia Pickle Bottom. From onesies and baby bottles to clothing, crib bedding, diaper bags and toys, the gifts will go a long way toward raising the spirits of the moms-to-be, many of whom would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience a baby shower.
Operation Shower was created in 2007 by Founder and Chief Shower Officer LeAnn Morrissey, who identified a need for honoring military moms – the ones typically holding everything together at home while their spouses proudly serve our country. “Without their spouses by their side, deployed to another part of the world, these moms deserve our support, our thanks, our love and an opportunity to celebrate together,” says Morrissey.
With graphic designs by Frog Prince Paperie, this shower brought lots of sunshine to so many military families! See more photos of the shower here!
