Big ‘Bash’ for back to school

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

An army of volunteers made short work of packing more than 1,800 backpacks of school supplies Wednesday for giveaway during the Back to School Bash that will take place Saturday at Kukui Grove Center.

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Representatives of some of the Back to School Bash partners, including clockwise from left Myrna Buster, Jeannie Odo, Sheila Bradley, Elyse Litvack, Maria Tomas, Melissa McFerrin-Warrack, David Posner, Judy Cano, Denise Roberts, Joycelyn Arford and state Department of Education Kauai Complex Area Superintendent William Arakaki meet to discuss the Saturday Back to School Bash in a Kukui Grove Center conference room.

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Volunteers, including members of Kauai’s credit unions, Kauai High School and the state Department of Education, get a break waiting for the line of school supplies Wednesday during the packing of backpacks for the Back to School Bash at Kukui Grove Center.

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Myrna Buster of Kauai’s credit unions, center, is among the volunteers working to pack more than 1,800 backpacks of school supplies Wednesday for giveaway during the Back to School Bash at Kukui Grove Center.

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Shannon and Erik Burkman came off vacation Wednesday to help prepare backpacks of school supplies for giveaway during the Back to School Bash at Kukui Grove Center. Erik Burkman is principal of Kalaheo School.

LIHUE The Back to School Bash begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Kukui Grove Center. It features entertainment, youth resources, a health fair, activity stations, prizes, and sales.

1 Comments

Outstanding program July 11, 2019 1:53 am Reply

This is an outstanding program for the children and parents of Kauai.

Imagine what the county of Kauai could have done with the $20,000,000 it wasted on the two county roads by the county building on Kauai?

Then the county raised the GET tax to secure higher salaries in the amount of 10-15%, in back to back 6 month periods from summer 2018 to spring 2019, for the top positions while they underperform and violate rules and regulations in four (4) consecutive audits for four (4) consecutive years.

This is while the entry county level positions are paid dirt cheap and their salaries and raises go up to 1-2%.

You have to question the integrity of your county government and hold them fiscally responsible before another furlough collusion occurs.

All in the back packs program and supporting children and at a young age and helping struggling families on kauai is a great program.

Now DOE has to find a way to improve the educational system and parents need to work together with DOE to help high school improve the thirst for knowledge and the importance of higher education to secure a brighter future.