Paula Fuga walked off the Island 98.5/Hawaii News Now Foodbank drive today after being humiliated by the DJs.
When you tease or make fun of the homeless, you are showing an ignorance that you may or may not understand.
Victor Slickvic Harris and Kreyz Oshiro / Kreyz Oshiro (whatever FB profile you are using) of Island 98.5… It must be nice to have a job and a roof over your heads during this pandemic when musicians can’t even perform live in front of an audience now.
The ignorance you showed to Paula Fuga today really has me upset and yes… I do hope you lose your job over this.
An online petition has already garnered over 1,800 signatures calling for a “A wake-up call for the Wake Up Crew.“
The online petition states, “This petition will be sent to the Island 98.5 station manager, all Hawaii news outlets, and to the Federal Communications Commission. We are asking that the Wake Up Crew and Island 98.5 be held accountable and reprimanded to the fullest extent.”
Fuga released her own statement:
“Kindness is what we need more of in our world and I hope this becomes a teachable moment. One that incites heartfelt generosity and genuine compassion for the families and especially the children of Hawai’i, who are likely experiencing hunger more now than ever due to the economic crisis brought about by this pandemic.”
The Hawaii Foodbank released the following statement:
“Hunger is not something to joke about, and making light of someone’s experiences does not align with the goals of our mission. We are incredibly grateful for Paula’s spirit, support and willingness to share her testimony. While we are also thankful for the support raised by the radiothon and its sponsors, the comments made by the hosts during this segment do not reflect to views of Hawaii Foodbank. Our leadership team is meeting to determine how to appropriately handle this situation. In the meantime, we appreciate everyone’s communication, understanding and patience.”
Hawaii News Now, who partnered with Island 98.5 for the Foodbank Food drive, released the following statement, “Their comments exemplified unacceptable behavior and are not condoned by our organization.”
Damon Tucker
Big Island Gazette