Hawaiian Fishermen Donate Tuna to Health Workers

Category: Human Interest

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. catch / kætʃ / (n) – the total amount of something caught, such as fish
    Example:

    The man is taking home a large catch after a whole night of fishing.


  2. legacy / ˈlɛg ə si / (n) – something that is passed on or received from an ancestor or from the past
    Example:

    His children will continue his legacy of donating to the needy.


  3. live on / lɪv ɒn / (idiom) – to continue to exist for a long time
    Example:

    The famous author recently passed away, but his works will live on.


  4. move / muv / (v) – to strongly affect another person’s feelings
    Example:

    The woman was moved when she learned that a stranger returned her handbag.


  5. gratefulness / ˈgreɪtfəlnəs / (n) – the state of being thankful
    Example:

    The children showed their gratefulness to their teachers by giving them gifts and cards.


Article

Read the text below.

A group of fishermen from Hawaii donated their catch to health workers.


The men caught two high-quality yellowfin tuna weighing 220 pounds (about 100 kilograms) in total and decided to give the fish to the health workers in their area. One of the fishermen, Kyle Nakamoto, explained that his group’s donation was inspired by the actions of Setsuo Todoroki, a fellow Hawaiian fisherman who had recently passed away. The late fisherman was known for frequently giving his catch to strangers in need. With Todoroki’s gesture, Nakamoto is hoping that his legacy will live on.


Nakamoto and his team sent the two grade-A yellowfin tuna to local fish distributor Monarch Seafoods. The company cleaned the fish and used them to make poke, a popular Hawaiian fish salad. According to a report, over 300 bowls of poke were sent as donations to two hospitals in Honolulu, Straub Medical Center and The Queen’s Medical Center.


Nakamoto and his team hope that what they did was enough to make the health workers feel appreciated, while Monarch Seafoods owner Tommy Mukaigawa said that it was a pleasure to be part of something great, especially at a time when it is important for people to help each other.


According to Travis Clegg, the chief operating officer of Straub Medical Center, the hospital staff was moved by the efforts of the people behind the food donation. A doctor from the same hospital also said that coming together to support the health workers leaves a lasting impression.


A nurse from The Queen’s Medical Center expressed her gratefulness for the gesture.  She added that she was humbled, knowing that a lot of people worked together to make the donation happen.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you think donating the fish is a good way to support health workers? Why or why not?
• Do you think there are people other than the health workers who could have benefitted from the donation? Explain.

Discussion B

• How would you feel if a stranger did a random act of kindness for you (e.g. grateful, suspicious)? Explain.
• What random acts of kindness are you willing to do for strangers (e.g. pay for their meal, offer a seat on public transportation)? Discuss.