PUHI — “I am the daughter that I am because of what you taught me,” wrote Kayla Perez, this month’s winner of the Lex Brodie’s Tire Company Thank You Very Much Foundation contest. Based on the familiar “Thank You…Very Much”
PUHI — “I am the daughter that I am because of what you taught me,” wrote Kayla Perez, this month’s winner of the Lex Brodie’s Tire Company Thank You Very Much Foundation contest.
Based on the familiar “Thank You…Very Much” that has become a trademark of the Lex Brodie’s Tire Company TV commercials, students are invited to submit essays thanking someone who has been a positive influence in their lives.
This assignment was presented to Perez’s class by Alicia Miyashiro back in September.
“It was their first writing assignment,” Miyashiro remembered, as Perez was announced by Scott Williams and Bill Gray of the Lex Brodie’s Tire Company Friday afternoon.
“I remember when you wrote this,” a classmate chirped from within the frenzy of hugs, congratulations, and well wishes. “I was there.”
Perez’s essay was a thank-you letter to her mom, Cathy, whom Kayla attributes as being a teacher, cheerleader, mom, and more. “When I was playing soccer, I’d hear ‘Go, Kayla!’ when we weren’t doing that well.”
For her winning essay, Perez earned a trip to O‘ahu aboard a private plane provided by George’s Aviation Services. That trip included her parents, Kaleo and Cathy, brother Cameron, her teacher, and husband.
Leaving shortly after the special Friday-afternoon assembly, the group will spend two nights at a suite in the Sheraton Moana Surfrider hotel in Waikiki.
On Saturday morning, the group will appear on the Perry & Price radio show from the John Dominis restaurant between 8 a.m. and noon. That show has a listening audience of about 92,000.
While at the show, the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School group will also be photographed for a half-page, color ad that runs Sunday in one of the O‘ahu dailies. Additional television broadcasts are also planned for KHON, with public-service announcements running throughout the month.
Additionally, Perez’s class receives a $250 award, to be used as the class chooses, and Miyashiro, as Perez’s teacher, receives a $250 gift certificate from Lex Brodie’s Tire Co.
Wells noted that Perez is only the second outer island student to win this award, the first being a student from the Big Island.
But, Wells noted that this is the first time that Lex Brodie and his wife were in attendance personally.
Brodie, who was born on Kaua‘i, currently resides at Princeville, and even arrived for the presentation early. Watching the students gather for the announcement generated a smile from him. That excitement grew as the students crowded into the cafeteria, and Brodie personally congratulated the Perez family on their honor following the announcement that came amidst offers of, “I’ll take your place on the plane, Kayla!”
Tiny Tadani of OC16 helped catalyze the excitement with his video camera, and Perez, along with classmate Erin Navarro, unaware of what was in store, were egging Tadani to get footage of them while they waited for other students to settle in.
The Tadani footage of Perez and Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School is scheduled to air in about three weeks, he announced to the assembly.
“They (the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School staff) made it all happen,” Wells explained. “Normally, we just do this in a classroom, but to see and feel the excitement, this made Lex happy, and not too many things make him this happy.”
- Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
