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Na Hoaloha ‘Ekolu makes key donations to Maui schools in need

By Staff | Sep 17, 2021

From left, Audrey Kaneshiro, Felimar Mandac and Malia Kauila prepare deliveries to schools.

LAHAINA — For over ten years, employees of Old Lahaina Lu’au, Star Noodle and Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop have held annual school supply drives to help back-to-school efforts for families who need assistance in providing school supplies for their keiki.

Collecting and distributing employee-donated supplies during these unsettling times is challenging and, thanks to organizers Antoinette Palisbo and Audrey Kaneshiro, Na Hoaloha ‘Ekolu has fully facilitated the project and donations in 2021 to continue to kokua the students and community that has been so important to their employees through the years.

The West Maui-based company is donating nine air conditioning units to Lahainaluna High School; 20 new edition dictionaries, Locals slippers, school supply kits and sanitizing supply kits to Hana High and Elementary School; and Locals slippers, school supply kits and sanitizing supply kits to Maunaloa Elementary, Kaunakakai Elementary, Kilohana Elementary, and Kualapuu Charter School on Molokai.

All Molokai donations are made possible thanks to helicopter charter company Air Maui, with thanks to Air Maui Director of Operations Virginia DiPiazza and Pilot Pete Bianchi from Reach Air Medical Service.

Na Hoaloha ‘Ekolu General Manager Judee Mae Aki, a Lahainaluna graduate, explained: “The last few years, we’ve tried to target the underserved communities of Molokai and Hana as well as our own Lahainaluna High School.

“As a graduate of LHS, I’m so grateful we can provide nine air conditioners for comfort and the much-needed clean air system.”

Community and Cultural Relations Director Kawika Freitas added, “We reached out to the specific schools to find out their most critical needs this year. Everyone in our community is under a lot of stress these days… it feels good to do something positive to try to bring people together during these tough times.”

School supply kits (per student) include crayons, coloring pencils, composition books and color markers.

Sanitizing supply kits (per classroom) include sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizer donated from 100% Kama’aina, masks, digital thermometers and expo markers.

Na Hoaloha ‘Ekolu employees are no strangers to spreading aloha. In 2016, they celebrated their 30th anniversary with a year of giving back to the local community and beyond through the “30 Acts of Aloha” program, which presented 30 opportunities of giving, depicting not only loyalty to the community but also appreciation for all the support received from the community over the years.

Employees raised and gave $130,000 in donations to ten Maui nonprofit organizations and accumulated over 4,000 volunteer hours to help the local community, with outreach projects across Hawaii, the Mainland and Laos.