The Hawai'i High School Athletic Association, which needs help to cover budget cuts to public high school athletic programs, said today it has received $400,000 in donations.

The HHSAA hopes to raise enough money to offset $1.2 million in cuts for the 2009-10 school year.
Last week, figures released by the O'ahu Interscholastic Association revealed an overall 36.35 percent cut to public schools’ athletic budgets for the 2009-2010 school year. That included a 57.2 percent cut in money for supplies and equipment and 55.62 percent cut in transportation funds.
It also included a 29.6 percent cut in coaches’ stipends, meaning each school had to make plans to eliminate more than a dozen assistant coach positions. To save on transportation costs, some OIA athletic directors also have announced that athletes will need to rely on their own transportation for preseason games and Saturday games in the regular season.
OIA athletic directors held an emergency meeting last Friday to address the cuts, with most saying they will try not to drop any sports.
The major donors announced today are the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation, First Hawaiian Bank, Bank of Hawaii and the GIFT Foundation (Giving Inspiration For Tomorrow). Hawaiian Airlines will be providing discounted airfare for teams traveling to state tournaments. HMSA is giving free air time.
The Honolulu Advertiser will publish the names of those who donate to the Hawai‘i High School Athletic Association to help offset budget cuts to Hawai‘i’s public schools.
Much like the Christmas Fund, we will list the person(s) and the amount.
The listing will appear each week, probably in the middle of the week, and will be accompanied with a story on occasion.

If you want to help, send checks payable to “HHSAA SOS Fund.” Mail checks to HHSAA, P.O. Box 62029, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96839. For more information, call HHSAA at 587-4495.