By
Belinda A. Aquino
Today, the
late Corky Trinidad would have reached the age of 70, and as far as we
know, he never missed a deadline. Family, friends, colleagues and admirers
have chosen this day to begin a campaign to memorialize Corky’s artistic
and professional legacy.
The “Friends
of Corky” initiative aims to establish an endowment at the University of
Hawaii Foundation to assist students, scholars and researchers in the fields
spanning Corky’s lifelong interests, including journalism, mass communication,
fine arts — especially painting — performing arts and human rights.
A minimum
of $35,000 is needed to name an endowment for Corky, who died Feb. 13.
Upon reaching the amount, the UH Foundation will administer the endowment
in conjunction with the Center for Philippine Studies at UH-Manoa.
“Friends
of Corky” organizers are delighted that the Star-Bulletin has pledged a
significant amount to the endowment project. Several pledges from various
donors already have been received, some coming from friends and colleagues
on the mainland and abroad.
Corky was
a talented, tireless, delightful, devoted and loyal worker for the Star-Bulletin
for nearly 40 years. I know that many people, especially in Hawaii’s large
Filipino community, subscribed to the paper because they loved Corky’s
cartoons. They would often greet each other with, “Did you see Corky’s
cartoons today?” or “What do you think he meant by that cartoon today?”
His fans
obviously miss him.
Underlying
his genius was the way he treated and used humor. He often quoted Abraham
Lincoln who, according to Corky, gave the best definition of humor when
he said, “I laugh because I must not cry.” The purpose of humor, he said,
is “to express the truth in another manner that softens the hurt. Like
slapping someone with reality wrapped in a pillow.”
The Corky
Trinidad Endowment Fund will perpetuate Corky’s long and distinguished
legacy of independent thought and free expression through the arts.
Anyone wishing
to make a contribution to Friends of Corky, can send a check to “Friends
of Corky” c/o FilCom Center, 94-428 Mokuola St., Suite 302, Waipahu, HI
96797. For further questions, contact Friends of Corky organizer Teresita
Bernales at tgb103@hawaii.rr.com or Geminiano Arre, president of FilCom
Center at (808) 680-0451. All donations are tax-deductible.
—May
26, 2009
Belinda
Aquino is professor and director of the Center for Philippine Studies
at the University of Hawaii-Manoa.
