When 17-year-old Big Island wish kid Kaikua first saw his refurbished Toyota Tacoma pull up in front of him last year, he was speechless. With its fresh coat of paint, brand new tires, and innovative sound system, the Tacoma was a far cry from its former self: a well-loved family vehicle with 180,000 miles, fading paint, and a list of costly fixes waiting to be made. Kaikua’s wish gave him a renewed sense of hope, strength, and freedom amid his fight with a critical kidney disease—and it was all made possible by the generosity of longtime wish partner Par Hawaii.

“Supporting organizations such as Make-A-Wish Hawaii empowers individuals and families,” says Marc Inouye, director of government and public affairs for Par Hawaii. “We believe [a wish] can be a positive, lasting, life-changing experience, which is one of the greatest gifts we can offer them.”

Granting wishes requires energy and imagination, two key components of Par Hawaii’s business model. As the leading supplier of transportation fuels in Hawaii, Par Hawaii is responsible for producing essential refined energy products for Hawaii’s families and businesses. The company is also exploring renewable energy sources to meet Hawaii’s goal of eliminating the use of fossil fuels within the next 20 years. Par Hawaii is continually looking toward the future—not only in finding innovative ways to bring energy to Hawaii, but in identifying new opportunities to help local families like Kaikua’s.

Since 2016, the company has transformed lives primarily through its sponsorship of the annual Jingle Rock Run holiday walk, reimagined into Jingle Rock Ride during the pandemic. Last year, however, Par Hawaii was inspired to expand its giving and grant Kaikua’s wish directly.

“We were immediately drawn to his story and wish,” explains Marc. “What caught our attention was that despite his own health condition, he was selfless and put others first.”

Witnessing the direct impact of their gift was a “chicken-skin” moment for the entire team at Par Hawaii, who call their partnership with Make-A-Wish Hawaii a “no-brainer.” The team was so inspired that they also recently went on to grant 9-year-old Hilo wish kid Chelton’s wish to have his own batting cage and baseball gear.

“We could see this was his passion; this is what gave him energy…we knew [granting his wish] was the right thing to do,” says Marc. Having already donated over $50,000 through event sponsorships and in granting wishes for keiki like Kaikua and Chelton over the past several years, Par Hawaii hopes to continue giving back to the community through its partnerships with Make-A-Wish Hawaii and other local nonprofits for years to come.

“We know that supporting the community is a way we can support our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and business colleagues. We’re all connected in some way,” says Marc. “We also recognize that giving is a way of sharing aloha. It is what makes Hawaii unique.”

To learn more about how you can make wishes like Kaikua’s come true, visit hawaii.wish.org.