Recycling to malama ‘aina - The Garden Island

Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

A Wilcox School kindergarten teacher unloads a truck of its load of recyclables Saturday during the kindergarten teachers’ recycling drive at the school’s cafeteria parking lot in Lihu‘e.
Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

People on foot flow in with their load of recyclables Saturday during the Wilcox Elementary School kindergarten class recycling drive at the school’s cafeteria parking lot in Lihu‘e.
Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Wilcox Elementary School student Sophia Johnson has her recycling crown on Saturday morning as she and her mom Oksana hand off bags of recyclable plastic and aluminum during the kindergarten classes’ recycling drive at the school’s cafeteria parking lot in Lihu‘e.
Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

Wilcox Elementary School student Grace Javier brings in a load of recyclables with Jojo Kawamura, the Wilcox School Parent-Teacher-Student Association president, Saturday during the kindergarten classes’ recycling drive in the school parking lot in Lihu‘e.
Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island

A Wilcox Elementary School student in truck at right talks with a teacher Saturday while a team of volunteers unload the recyclables from the back of the pickup truck Saturday during the kindergarten classes’ recycling drive at the school’s cafeteria parking lot in Lihu‘e.

LIHU‘E — The Elsie Wilcox Elementary School kindergarten teachers’ drive-thru recycling drive for HI-5 plastics and aluminum cans was just an hour in duration Saturday, but the effort sent Wilcox School Parent-Teacher-Student President Jojo Kawamura looking for more trucks.

“The first load was more than $200,” Kawamura said. “We have more truckloads to bring in.”

The drive-thru recycling drive was spearheaded by the kindergarten teachers, who used the drive to deliver their malama message to the young keiki.

“You’re never too young to malama Kaua‘i, malama the ‘aina,” said kindergarten teacher Shana Carvalho. “Everyone’s effort counts and makes a difference.”

Carvalho said the class even set up goals so the students could track the collection effort that came to a climax Saturday when the kindergarten teachers enlisted the help of the PTSA, other teachers and the Leo Club from Kaua‘i High School in unloading the carloads of recyclables that flowed into the parking lot.

Kaua‘i High School Principal Marlene Leary was among those in the flow of cars to not only support the cause, but check on how the Leo Club volunteers were faring.

“We had to get special permission from Ms. Leary to get the students here because of the COVID-19 rules,” Carvalho said. “And, after discussions, only allowed us to have 12 students. They all had to wear their school club shirts, too.”

Players and parents from the soon-to-start youth Lihu‘e Baseball League squads joined the flow with their bags of recyclables before taking the field.

Proceeds from the recycling project benefit the Wilcox School PTSA.

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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.

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