LIHU‘E — Deep in the bowels of the Pi‘ikoi Building, little elves toiled with scissors, hot glue, paint and a large dose of ingenuity. Young hands belonging to students from the Kaua‘i High School Academy of Hospitality and Tourism transformed
LIHU‘E — Deep in the bowels of the Pi‘ikoi Building, little elves toiled with scissors, hot glue, paint and a large dose of ingenuity.
Young hands belonging to students from the Kaua‘i High School Academy of Hospitality and Tourism transformed the discarded plastic bottles into works of art celebrating the colors of the holidays while the rest of the island contended with drought conditions in September.
On Tuesday, the fruits of this labor will be packed for shipment to Sen. Daniel Inouye’s office in Washington, D.C., accompanied by six AOHT students and two teachers of the program.
“There has been so much community support for the teens going to D.C.,” said Elizabeth Freeman, chair of the Festival of Lights. “The students’ goal on this trip is to inspire others to create beautiful eco-friendly decorations by turning recycled plastic water bottles into Aloha Recycled Treasures.”
The seed of this accomplishment traces back to the days when Josie Chansky of Kapahi transformed common everyday materials into shimmering works of art, everything going on display from after Thanksgiving until beyond the magical day of Christmas.
Soda cans, bottle caps, plastic netting holding drink cans, and even egg cartons did not escape the creative touch from the little lady in Kapahi. Her reputation for the artistry she demonstrated spread far and wide, Freeman describing her as a true folk artist.
The AOHT students — without realizing their individual capabilities were traveling on a similar path — utilized their ingenuity, creativity and talent while learning the visitor industry trade in a two-year program at Kaua‘i High School.
The Lihu‘e Airport needed someone to tend to the two big display cases, one fronting Hawaiian Airlines and the other greeting travelers from the then-Aloha Airlines baggage claim areas.
The young talent force scoured the island in search of businesses and organizations that best represented the aloha spirit of Kaua‘i and melded their efforts to creating welcoming displays.
Letters of congratulations and commendation poured in from visitors who were impressed with the talent and ingenuity demonstrated by high school students, many coming from teachers who were left with indelible impressions of what young minds are capable of achieving.
When a vendor for the display cases was found, the students were presented with bags of discarded water bottles and the tale of Chansky.
With a few guiding hands, the students took the bottles and literally ran with the idea, creating ornaments that adorned the trees inside the Historic County Building during the holidays.
In the tradition of the AOHT students before them, the students did not stop there, taking bottles to the Sheraton Kaua‘i where they taught guests how to create ornaments from a discarded bottle.
That deed drew similar responses from guests, and after one letter from a teacher that said the works of art needed to be in Washington, D.C. to serve as an example of what the nation needs to do with its discarded items, Freeman took over.
Freeman, who found community donors to help pay for this trip, said recycling changes the way things are done as the AOHT students add aloha into each piece they create through their individual touch.
With the help of Subway in Lihu‘e, Ace Hardware and Crafts, and Ibaan Table Rentals, the students worked to transform hundreds of discarded plastic bottles into glittering works of art.
When the students leave Lihu‘e, they will be armed with 300 ornaments, 200 going to decorate Inouye’s Washington office tree and the remaining 100 being presented to each United States senator by the students and teachers.
“The Aloha Recycled Treasures designs capture the beauty found in our islands. Each is unique in its own way — like the bearer of aloha, the design represents the essence of aloha because they were fashioned with a spirit of sharing, caring, and daring to make a difference,” states the gift card that accompanies each ornament. “This is the gift we give to you today — the gift of aloha.”
