Students of five Molokai schools received a shipping container full of resort furniture, supplies and new fans thanks to a cooperative effort spearheaded by the Realtors Association of Maui Community Foundation’s “Wishing Well…for Maui Students” program.
The plan to ship the goods to Molokai began in March when the Foundation’s founder and director, Sarah Sorenson, was contacted by Randall Nelson, who is a general contractor and site supervisor for Elements of Hospitality; EoH was overseeing the renovation of the WorldMark Wyndham Resort in Kihei at the time.
“We worked together for four months, moving their donated furniture,” Sorenson said. “We supplied a number of schools on Maui, but Molokai had to wait until the final distribution.”
Once the plan to donate the good to Molokai was finalized, the next step was to find a way to ship it all to the neighboring island.
Sorenson emailed Young Brothers, who agreed to generously provide shipping to Molokai, she said. “Now we had to figure out how to get everything into a shipping container and down to the harbor,” Sorenson said. “That is when the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce stepped in to assist.”
MNHCoC members Teri Freitas Gorman and Mercer “Chubby” Vicens put the call out for a trucking company that would be willing to drop off a container in Kula for loading and to haul it back to the harbor. Richard “Chick” DeCoite of DeCoite Trucking and T. Sniffen & Sons, LLC stepped up to offer their services.
Sixteen volunteers from the Realtors Association of Maui devoted a Saturday morning to packing it all. “We were all tired when we closed the container, but it felt good,” Sorenson said. “It was a community effort and I want to thank everyone who lent a hand. They embody our Foundation’s motto–Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
Last week the container arrived in Molokai’s Kaunakakai Harbor. “You are all so cool,” said Kualapu`u Public Conversion Charter School principal Lydia Trinidad. “This is our first day back from our fall break and we received a special gift of fans from your foundation…itʻs October and it’s still 90 degrees. The students will love it.”
The non-profit Realtors Association of Maui Community Foundation, Inc. established the Wishing Well…for Maui Students in 2007 to improve the educational experiences and opportunities for public school students in Maui County.
For more information visit Ilovemauischools.com, or email founder/director Sarah Sorenson at RAMCF@RAMaui.com.
Photo courtesy Realtors Association of Maui Community Foundation, Inc.
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