By successfully converting students and family into "Water Warriors" willing to protect the environment, Noelani students took the top prize of $2,000, which yesterday they donated to the three organizations they felt were most deserving of their recognition — Hawai'i soldiers serving in Iraq, the Ronald McDonald House and the Institute for Human Services.

"I hope the money will help a lot of people," said student-body president Tori Fuchigami.

Students particularly wanted to help the soldiers, since some have family or friends in Iraq.

"They're giving up their Christmas to help us," Fuchigami said.

When Spc. Barry Ishida, of the National Guard's 193rd Aviation Regiment, returns to Iraq before Christmas, he will take back 227 goodie bags filled with li hing mango, cuttlefish, iso peanuts, chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies and arare with nori.

"We hope that this goodie bag will help to make their holidays brighter. We wish the soldiers a very Merry Christmas and a safe return to Hawai'i," said sixth-grade teacher Sharlene Arita, who is Ishida's aunt.

Ishida, who attended the ceremony, said the packages will be a big morale boost to the soldiers, who will treat Christmas as just another workday. "I think that it's one thing to show that adults care, but when kids care that means a lot, especially since there are a lot of folks up there with family, with children," he said.

Paul Carter, a development associate at IHS, said the money will go to help children at the women and family's shelter. "It's pretty much a keiki-to-keiki donation, so the donation benefits them, whether it be school supplies or food or something along those lines," he said.

There was no stipulation that the students donate their prize money to charity, but they looked at the Kuleana Eco Project as their Make a Difference Day contribution.

The student council came up with a list of 10 possible places to donate the money, polled the second- through sixth-grade students and selected the top three choices. The Ronald McDonald House was a popular choice because Noelani has a third-grader living there and the students wanted her to have something special for Christmas.

Student council historian Rick Nomura said it is important for students to do things like this so they can learn and appreciate what is going on in their community. "We donate money to the homeless so they can have freedom like we have today," he said.

As for the soldiers, he said, "They're fighting for our country and they're risking their lives just so our country can have freedom."

He added, "It's too bad they have to go back to Iraq for Christmas."

Principal Fred Yoshinaga said given the severe damage the school experienced during the Oct. 30 flood — just one week after the contest — the decision to make the donations was remarkable.

"This is an incredible, heartwarming story emulating the true spirit of the holidays by our students and the school system in being able to give back and recognize less fortunate members of our community despite our recent experience with a crisis."