LIHU‘E — For the 10th year, the Kukui Grove Center partnered with the Department of Education to distribute backpacks filled with school supplies to students preparing to return to the classrooms at the 10th annual Back to School Bash on Saturday.
This year, the partnership and collaboration of business sponsorships packed an estimated more than 2,700 backpacks put together for the needs of students in kindergarten through Grade 5 and students in middle and high schools.
“This was a lot of work by everyone. We distributed more than 2,100 backpacks of supplies,” said Melissa McFerrin Warrack, the special events coordinator at Kukui Grove Center.
“In addition, before we starting giving away the backpacks, we set aside enough to take care of all the public schools on the island. And, if there are extras, St. Theresa School — the sole Catholic education school on Kaua‘i — is on the wait list. The organizers are also looking at providing extras, if any, to the charter schools. There should be no leftovers.”
More than 70 Back to School volunteers helped expedite the distributions using timed pickups to maximize the traffic flow in the shopping center. The number did not include the volunteers that came with the nearly two dozen community vendors who offered school-related information, education and resources through the passport program.
One of the shopping center tenants, Deja Vu Surf Hawai‘i, capitalized on the heavy traffic to celebrate its 115th anniversary with a tent sale of bargains.
“This is so good to see so many people in the shopping center,” said Kristyn Peralta of Bubbah’s Toy Box that added a sold-out promotion to the heavy traffic. “We need to do more of these kinds of promotions to keep the people coming back.”
The Back to School Bash with a bigger than ever distribution of backpacks, was made possible through the support of the Hawai‘i Foodservice Alliance, Kaiaulu (Kamehemeha Schools), Sheraton Kaua‘i Resort Table 53, Wilcox Health, Royal Sonesta Kaua‘i Resort, Kaua‘i Board of Realtors, Pacific Media Group, Keiki to Career, Hawai‘iUSA Federal Credit Union, Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, HMSA, Sign Art, Earthworks Pacific, Hawai‘i Building Maintenance, Hawai‘i Family Dental, Aqua Engineers, Deli &Bread Connection, Kaua‘i Society of Artists, Aloha Freight, Department of Water, Pyramid Insurance Center, Wayne D. Medeiros, TGI, Bayada Habilitation, Garden Island Disposal and Kim Chee No. 9.
