LIHUE — Aaliyah Keala Reiko Nero, a fourth-grader at Elsie Wilcox Elementary School and a Na Hoku princess, celebrated her birthday Sunday with fellow Na Hoku princesses and a group of people she had never met.
Nero, the daughter of Stephanie Shinno, was at the center of the group at Kukui Grove Center, getting help from her fellow Na Hoku princesses in distributing gift cards to six children in need.
“Aaliyah formed her foundation, Keala’s Big Sister Club, just this February,” said Shinno. “This is her first service project where she wanted to celebrate her birthday a little differently by giving away gift cards to children in need.”
Shinno said Aaliyah wanted to start her 10th birthday by giving to girls less fortunate than herself.
“She understands how other families are struggling to make ends meet,” Shinno said. “She also wanted to be a big sister to children in need.”
Nero said she started the foundation to help people.
“I want to try and help other people who are not going to have a Christmas,” Nero said. “It’s also about giving back to the community who supported me as a Na Hoku princess. I want to make people have joy in their lives.”
Nero’s goal for this first project, “Drop a Gift Card Christmas Spirit Project,” was to collect 10 gift cards to distribute, Shinno said. The cards ranged in value from $50 to $100.
“She was able to get three cards, and a donor matched the amount for a total of six gift cards,” Shinno said. “Next year, she has it in her mind that she wants to collect at least 50 gift cards.”
She turned to Brianna Sugimura for help in finding the children.
“We have children from two families,” said Sugimura, who found people who needed help through social media. “Both are single mothers and are working more than 100 hours a week just to make ends meet. Their children, five girls and one boy, range in age from 9 months to 8 years old. Their mothers couldn’t be here today because they are working.”
Sugimura said she has been scouring social media for the past two or three years, and reaching out to people in need.
“Last year, I helped a mom who was being overwhelmed by medical bills,” Sugimura said. “She was a single mother of four and couldn’t work because she had a medical procedure done. She needed some help getting back on her feet.”
Shinno invited other Na Hoku princesses from a pageant coordinated by Cheryl Perreira to join Nero in the presentation.
“This is a great opportunity for girls with Na Hoku to learn about giving back,” Shinno said. “After we’re done with this, we’re going to the Fun Factory to celebrate, and it’s not just a birthday.”
