LIHUE, Kauai (AP) — Students are helping cool hot classrooms by replicating a Kona fan drive for Kekaha Elementary School. ADVERTISING LIHUE, Kauai (AP) — Students are helping cool hot classrooms by replicating a Kona fan drive for Kekaha Elementary
LIHUE, Kauai (AP) — Students are helping cool hot classrooms by replicating a Kona fan drive for Kekaha Elementary School.
A dozen fans were donated Saturday during the drive held outside a Safeway grocery store on Kauai.
Kamehameha School-Kapalama student Marley Samio was aided by fellow students Trajan Satta-Ellis of Kona and Waimea High School student Naikoa Simao.
“Recently, there were a lot of reports of high temperatures in schools in Hawaii,” Samio said. “My grandma works at Kekaha School, and I went to school there until the eighth-grade, so we’re trying to collect as much money and fans to place in the Kekaha School classrooms.”
Samio said Satta-Ellis’s previous fan drive inspired her to pursue a similar event as a project for her personal health class.
“Trajan did a drive in Kona to get fans for the schools there,” Samio said. “He collected 10 fans and about $100 to purchase fans. He wanted to come and help me with the Kekaha School fans.”
Kekaha has about 20 classrooms in the country’s westernmost school. Kekaha School Principal Dominic Beralas said teachers have taken temperature readings in classrooms that were as hot as 90 degrees.
In one class, the temperature was nearly 100 degrees.
“This is awesome,” Beralas said. “I haven’t seen anything like this. Even people who aren’t from here are stopping to help our teachers and students.”
