Wai'anae High 'overwhelmed' by aid
By Will Hoover
Advertiser Leeward O'ahu Writer
WAI'ANAE — Wai'anae High School has been astonished by an outpouring of money, supplies and support in the wake of an April 1 fire that did almost $1 million in damage to the school.
Campbell Estate donated $20,000. Tripler Army Medical Center chipped in 100 computers. Leeward Community College gave about a half-dozen more. Private donors have forked over $2,000. And students and staff from Iolani School have donated books and started their own relief fund.
Wai'anae High Vice Principal Andrew Szkotak described so much aloha spirit as a welcome surprise.
"It makes us feel good to get this kind of support," Szkotak said yesterday.
"We're overwhelmed by the response," added history teacher Kathy Yamamoto, whose classroom computers and supplies were among those lost in the fire. "We're grateful."
The fire destroyed the second floor of the school's ninth-grade classroom building, forcing several classes to meet in the library.
Yamamoto said she has heard it could take as long as 20 months to repair the damaged U Building, and that next year her students in the library will be moved to temporary portable classrooms.
Szkotak said $100,000 worth of computers, books and supplies were lost in the blaze.
For some who made donations, the gesture was almost an automatic response.
Theresia McMurdo, spokeswoman for the Campbell Estate, said she talked with Chief Executive Officer Steve MacMillan about offering help.
"I recommended an amount, and he doubled it," she said. "So I was placed in the wonderful position of saying, 'Wow!' It wasn't a tough sell."
MacMillan explained that giving the school $20,000 simply seemed like the right thing to do.
"You know it's going to take them awhile at Wai'anae High to rebuild, and what's important for the principal is to have some funds that she can use to patch things together until it all gets worked out," he said.
"They don't give school principals that much in discretionary money."
Similar sentiments came from other quarters.
At Iolani School, Kirk Uejio, faculty adviser to the student council, spearheaded the school's Wai'anae High Relief Fund. Student council community service program co-chairs, junior Stephanie Toriumi and senior Tricia Sakamoto, jumped at the opportunity to assist their student colleagues on the Wai'anae Coast.
"It was basically Mr. Uejio's idea, but Tricia and I just thought it would be a good idea if we helped ... since they lost so many things in the fire," said Toriumi, 16.
Uejio said Toriumi and Sakamoto, with the help of students and faculty, devised a three-part plan to help — collecting monetary donations, a book drive and a bake sale.
So far, the school has raised more than $1,000.
Because Wai'anae High lost 120 copies of "Romeo and Juliet" in the fire, Iolani ninth-grade history teacher Thomas Miller challenged students to see how many copies of the book they could collect, according to Uejio. Miller said he would provide the balance.
Students rounded up more than three dozen copies of "Romeo and Juliet." True to his word, Miller paid for the rest.
"It was a very generous donation," said Uejio.
Cate Waidyatilleka is the faculty adviser for Iolani's Young Leaders Club, which is working on the bake sale in coordination with Iolani's ninth-grade class. She said some 120 students are involved in contributing baked goods as well as working the sale, which is tied to the School's May Day celebration this Friday.
"I'm hoping maybe we can even top $1,000 at the bake sale," said Waidyatilleka. "If we sell it all, it should work out that way. The sale will be right beside the student activities office. And we're also going to have traveling sales persons going around the campus."
Reach Will Hoover at 525-8038 or at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.
