LIHU‘E — Registrations for the 2022 Back to School Bash opened Wednesday morning through the Kukui Grove Center website at www.kukuigrovecenter.com, and Melissa McFerrin-Warrack of Kukui Grove said movement was brisk.
“The word is getting out there,” McFerrin-Warrack said. “We have several of the morning time slots already filled to capacity. But there are other time slots available, and people should check the website to see which spots are open that fit their schedules.”
Registrations are needed for students to get a backpack of school supplies that are available in two age group packings. One backpack contains materials suited for elementary school, and the other has material for middle school and high school students. Overall, there are just 2,500 backpacks available, making pre-registration important to ensure a backpack for a student.
Following two years of COVID-19 adapted events, the 8th Annual Back to School Bash comes back as an in-person event on July 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the Kukui Grove Shopping Center with resources and activities for students to take part in.
“We’re mindful of social distancing, and the convenience of shorter lines and pre-registration,” said McFerrin-Warrack. “We will be distributing the bags throughout the day, and at the same time, we look forward to bring the Fun Fair activities back with students returning as the VIPs to make it more of a special day for them and their families.”
Hawai‘i Foodservice Alliance, celebrating its 20th anniversary, joins the lineup of sponsors as the event’s title sponsor, said McFerrin-Warrack. Other sponsorship leaders include Layton Construction, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, Wilcox Health, Hawai‘iUSA Federal Credit Union, Kaua‘i’s Credit Unions, Kamehameha Schools, Target, the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, the Kaua‘i Board of Realtors, S&A Industries, and numerous others who partner with the Department of Education to make the event Kaua‘i’s largest school supplies giveaway.
“The company just wants to give back to the community,” said Felisa Fuentes-Ikehara of Hawai‘i Foodservice Alliance who stopped in to check out samplings of this year’s giveaway. “We donated a lot, including the food distributions throughout the pandemic. We tried to help during the Waimea Valley landslide, and the volcano eruption on the Big Island. Giving must be part of the Hawai‘i Foodservice Alliance DNA.”
Despite the outpouring of support, contributions are still being accepted, including prizes for families, and volunteers to the Back to School Bash.
For information, or contributions, contact info@kukuigrovecenter.com.
