With the 2013-14 school year starting soon, West Maui Lions want to provide a very basic need for elementary school children in Lahaina.

Members will hold their fifth annual Back to School Slipper Drive at Lahaina Cannery Mall (next to Longs Drugs) next week Saturday, July 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

All slippers will be delivered to King Kamehameha III and Princess Nahi’ena’ena Elementary Schools to be distributed by the school nurse to children who need slippers during the school year.

To prevent any health concerns, drop off new slippers or monetary donations to support the drive.

“This year, we hope to have more support from the community and organizations in dropping off slippers or donations to exceed the 400 collected last year,” said West Maui Lions Secretary Linda Elms.

“The slipper drive is important, because many students break their slippers while at school. Instead of parents being contacted due to broken or needed slippers, the ones collected from the drive are delivered to the school nurse to distribute as needed. It also provides resources, so the school nurse does not have to call parents every time a child’s slipper breaks, or if they come to school in need of appropriate slippers.”

Lions Club members were surprised when school children sent a handmade book of individual mahalo drawings of the slippers they received from them. “We later found out that some of them go to school without slippers,” Elms added.

“We believe we are meeting a need that the school has when they run out of spare slippers.”

For information, contact Elms at secretary@westmauilions.org or 276-1191.