"The area for pre-kindergartners is dirt and a little bit of grass and absolutely no shade whatsoever," Thielen said. "I just felt they were frying in the sun."

Thielen said she worried about the children's exposure to sun and future risk of getting skin cancer.

According to the American Cancer Society, the cause of skin cancer or melanoma is unknown but too much exposure to ultraviolet rays contributes to getting the disease.

The Skin Cancer Foundation said just one blistering sunburn in childhood is estimated to double the risk of getting melanoma later in life, and, while blonde people with fair skin are at greater risk, people of all color are affected.

Thielen said she tried to obtain money for the project through Hawai'i 3Rs, but that program was for repairs of existing buildings. So she solicited help from the Castle Foundation, which will cover the $5,000 cost of Shade Sails, a new product to Hawai'i, but one that has been used in Australia for 30 years.

Marine and Navy volunteers have dug the holes for the foundation of the Shade Sails and will paint the posts that hold them up today. The high-density polyethylene fabric will be installed Friday.

The project will have two 18-square-foot rectangular pieces that will be stretched tight and twisted into a hyperbolic paraboloid, said Carey Aoyagi, manager of Shade Sails-Hawaii Inc.

"Basically it's twisting the cloth to create an arty look," Aoyagi said, adding that the sails come in various colors. The school chose navy and royal blue sails. The product's name comes from the fact that they resemble sailboat sails, he said.

Unlike a canvas or tarp, the fabric is breathable and allows heat to rise. It resembles the screen material used in nurseries, he said, but it is stretched tight to fashion designs with overlapping pieces.

Kainalu principal Sheri Sunabe said providing shade to the youngest children on campus was a wonderful idea that could expand to other areas of the campus if it proves successful.

"We have a wide, expanse playing field, but we have limited shade," Sunabe said. "So we're really happy, especially since we're talking about UV protection."

The Shade Sails, which are somewhat translucent, are touted to block 80 percent of the sun and resists ultraviolet rays.

Marine and Navy personnel from Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 24 in the military's Adopt-A-School Program supplied the labor, which was one of many services the group has provided, Sunabe said.

Without their help, the project would have cost twice as much, Aoyagi said.

"The shade will make a big difference for the kids," Sunabe said. "Some of the people we know and work with have had skin cancer, so we want to prevent that as much as we can."