Maui Realtors Send Gifts for Molokai Schools

Realtors Association of Maui Community Foundation News Release

Students of five Molokai schools are sitting pretty and cool after a cooperative effort spearheaded by the Realtors Wishing Well program. Last month a shipping container full of resort furniture, supplies and new fans arrived at Kaunakakai Harbor thanks to the Realtors Association of Maui Community Foundation and kokua from other Maui residents.

According to Foundation’s founder and director, Sarah Sorenson, the Molokai initiative began in March when she was contacted by Randall Nelson, general contractor and site supervisor for Elements of Hospitality who was overseeing the renovation of the WorldMark Wyndham Resort in Kihei.

“We worked together for four months, moving their donated furniture,” explained Sorenson. “We supplied a number of schools on Maui, but Molokai had to wait until the final distribution.”  The next step was to find a way to ship it all to Molokai.

Sorenson emailed Young Brothers to get the ball rolling, and “within weeks we heard the great news that they would generously provide shipping to Molokai,” she explained.  “Now we had to figure out how to get everything into a shipping container and down to the harbor.  That is when the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce [MNHCoC] 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 hardworking volunteers from the Realtors Association of Maui devoted a Saturday morning to packing it all.

Last week the container arrived in Kaunakakai.

“You are all so cool,” said Kualapu`u Public Conversion Charter School principal Lydia Trindad.  “This is our first day back from our fall break and we received a special gift of fans from your foundation…it’s October and it’s still 90 degrees. The students will love it.”

For more information visit ilovemauischools.com, or email founder/director Sarah Sorenson at RAMCF@RAMaui.com.