Special Olympics, Easter Seals honored by Hawaii BBB

The Better Business Bureau of Hawai`i on April 18 named the winners of the 2007 Torch Awards for Business Ethics. The winner in the Small Nonprofit category was Special Olympics Hawai‘i; the Large Nonprofit winner was Easter Seals Hawai‘i.

"These winners demonstrated that they are constantly compelled to do their best – not only for themselves, but also for everyone they work with," said Fred Badua, BBB board chair.

Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competitions for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, and Easter Seals provides support services for people with developmental disabilities. Both are founding members of the Hawai‘i Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations.

Business category winners included:

• Business Individual – Cecile Sebastian, a general and cosmetic dentist in Honolulu
• Small Business – Graham Builders, a Honolulu home building and remodeling company in Honolulu
• Large Business – First Insurance Co. of Hawai‘i, a commercial and personal insurance provider on Oahu.