At Turtle Bay Resort, a generous spirit of Aloha and a shared sense of responsibility have always compelled us to give back to our North Shore community. We recognize that the stunning beauty of our area is mirrored by its warm-hearted people—and believe in nurturing and sustaining both. In 2001, even as we underwent a $70 million renovation, we made a conscious decision to retain all employees despite the clear economic advantages of simply closing down. Since then we have increased employee counts and improved workers’ take-home pay and benefits.

“Our Ohana (family) starts with our workers but it doesn’t stop there,” says Bob Boyle the resort’s Managing Director. “We work hard to increase the well-being of their families and the communities we all live in. Turtle Bay Resort understands we’re the economic lynchpin of this region and we’ve always welcomed the responsibilities that go along with that. The renovation made us a grand luxury resort once again, but we never forget that it’s the North Shore and its people that make us true Hawai‘i.”

Our resort has been lauded for its continual support of North Shore schools and non-profit organizations. By hosting two major professional golf tournaments, we have been able to donate more than $300,000 in partnership with Friends of Hawai‘i Charities over the past three years to the North Shore Canoe Club, Kahuku Hospital, Kahuku Library, the Audubon Society, Camp Erdman YMCA, and dozens of other local groups. Each year, we work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to give 25 terminally ill children and their parents a complimentary Hawaiian vacation.

We also recognize that true community giving means not only money but time as well. That’s why more than 100 resort employees worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Kahuku High School students in a novel “Clean Sweep” operation to rid North Shore beaches of litter. Organized by the hotel’s director of housekeeping, this spirited effort was typical of the kind of grassroots goodwill that ties Turtle Bay Resort to the local community.

Another tie is the way we celebrate holidays together. For 15 years, the resort has hosted a Christmas day breakfast for disadvantaged local families. In 2005, we fed 700 people and distributed hundreds of new toys. On Thanksgiving, we sent turkey dinners to area fire and police stations so officers on duty could enjoy a hot Thanksgiving dinner even if they were away from their loved ones. These are the shared moments that strengthen our community and make our employees so proud to work for us.