Posted on: Tuesday, October 2, 2001

Prep notes
Promotion to help O'ahu high schools

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Following along the lines of Rainbow Fever, Kraft Foods and Hawai'i Sports Network have teamed up on a promotion designed to raise money for O'ahu high school athletic programs.

The six-week promotion, called "Shop and Score," kicked off yesterday with a press conference at HSN's Executive Center office and will end on Nov. 19.

The program is similar to Rainbow Fever, in which grocery products with that label are purchased with a portion of the proceeds going toward a scholarship fund for University of Hawai'i athletes.

In Shop and Score, proof of purchase labels from Kraft products will be collected by participating schools at a credit of 10 cents each. The schools then can redeem their credits for up to $5,000 toward purchase of Wilson and Adidas sporting equipment.

Donation boxes will be set up at football games to collect the proofs of purchase.

HSN director of sales and marketing Jon Bryan said every high school on O'ahu was offered participation, and every public school accepted. Redemption Academy, St. Louis, Varsity and Word of Life Academy also agreed to participate.

"Ultimately we'd like to make the program state-wide," Bryan said. "A lot of the products are items you would buy anyway, like mayonaise."

Kraft Foods also encompasses Oscar Mayer, Post Cereals and Jell-O, among others.

Many athletic directors in Hawai'i have struggled to keep up with the rising costs of running a department. Equipment purchases eat up a big portion of the budget.

As examples, a new wrestling mat can cost up to $9,000, and a baseball catcher's full outfit can cost more than $500.