KALAPAKI — Most of the students gathered in the lobby of the Kauai Marriott Resort &Beach Club had yet to get their fill of Thanksgiving turkey Wednesday afternoon.
Accompanied by their chaperone teachers and volunteer parents, the students, some of whom were even dressed in holiday gear, were laden with armfuls of holiday decorations to grace the five designated Christmas trees donated by Corteva Agriscience set up in the lobby that bustled with guests arriving to spend the holidays on Kauai.
One of those trees even went high tech.
“Each of the decorations has a scanning code,” said Kevin Matsunaga, the instructor for the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School media class. “People can scan the code with their smartphone and it links to a video showing the class in action, or a video produced by the students.”
The group of students represented five schools — CKMS, Waimea Canyon Middle School, Kalaheo School, Elsie Wilcox Elementary School and King Kaumualii Elementary School — that are participants in the Fourth annual Mele Kalikimaka O Kalapaki holiday tree fundraising campaign.
“Terms for this program are simple,” said Enoch Aana of Pele’s Weddings and Events, presentor of the campaign that is currently enjoying success on the Big Island and Maui as well. “Once the trees are done, people can vote for their favorite tree at $5 a vote. The contribution goes toward the school they are voting for. Ballots are available by seeing a Kauai Marriott associate at the front desk and deposited in a special ballot box near the front desk.”
Voting is available now through Jan. 1, Aana said. Once the votes are tabulated, the schools will receive their rewards during a special presentation later in January.
“When the decorations are done, can we have them for display?” asked Christy Nii, a teacher at Wilcox. “A lot of the students involved with the Chiefess media program were students at Wilcox school. We want to set up a display at school where other students can get involved and see what they can aspire to be when they leave Wilcox.”
The trees will also become part of the Kalapaki resort’s holiday decorations, coordinated by Aana, and will be available for viewing and voting Sunday when the Kauai Marriott Resort &Beach Club hosts its annual Charity Craft Fair benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network starting at 11:30 a.m.
The craft fair opens ahead of the Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Festival that takes place in the resort’s ballroom from noon to 6 p.m.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
