Posted on: Thursday, December 23, 2004

Kane'ohe students gave, dollar by dollar

By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Among the thousands of dollars donated to this year's Honolulu Advertiser Christmas Fund are the lunch money and allowances of students at Kane'ohe Elementary School.

They gave — mostly a dollar bill at a time, although the sixth-graders coughed up the quarters they ordinarily spend on sodas — until the students, staff and teachers had raised $769.82.

That was $100 more than their goal of $1 for everyone on campus.

It took a week and no one really needed convincing, said sixth-grader Patrice Yamane, 11, chairperson of the school's student services committee.

The students were moved by the stories about those in need that appeared in The Advertiser, Patrice said. One in particular moved her.

"I was really focusing on the one where somebody doesn't even have a pair of slippers," she said. "We told them it was a competition, but you don't really get a prize except for helping other people."

Fifth-grade teacher Sherron Haida watched the donations come in each morning before school. The younger children would stop by and stuff a dollar into a tin can and the memory of it leaves her speechless.

"It was so touching," she said. "They were so excited. You talk about Christmas ... you talk about the holidays. ... Most of them, I think ... it came from themselves and not from Mom and Dad giving them money."

The students collected the money Dec. 9 to Dec. 16. At first they thought they could gain attention to their cause with Christmas carols.

"We tried singing in the mornings, too, but we didn't all know the same songs," Haida said. "So we started ringing a little silver bell. Everyone said it sounded like the sound of giving."

Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012.