Hawaii Self Storage Is A Bulldog Benefactor
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usWell before four institutions donated money to help high school athletic departments weather the realities of shrinking budgets recently, Kaimuki head boys basketball coach Kelly Grant already knew firsthand the difference generosity can make.
Twice in the last three years, Hawaii Self Storage has donated a substantial sum to the Kaimuki program to help it stay afloat. For their part, the Bulldogs also have thrived on the courts,winning a state title in 2007 in addition to OIA championships in 2006 and 2007.
“They’re a good-luck charm for me,” said Grant, noting that the first time HSS stepped in with a big donation was also the year Kaimuki won its first state basketball title since 1993. “They’ve bent over backward to try to help me. After the first year, I didn’t ask again because I didn’t want to be greedy. I waited a year and asked,and they were very generous. They gave us more money than we could hope to get if we had a major fundraiser.”
Last week, Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director Keith Amemiya revealed that the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation ($200,000), First Hawaiian Bank ($100,000), Bank of Hawaii ($50,000) and The GIFT Foundation ($50,000) became lead donors to DOE athletic departments, giving a total of $400,000 to help salvage budgets statewide. Amemiya and his wife also gave $30,000 out of their own pocket. The HHSAA hopes to raise $1.2 million in all for the upcoming season to help avoid a massive budget cut. Some athletic directors were looking at budgets that could be cut by as much as 50 percent.
HSS’s sponsorship allowed Grant to replace 10-year-old practice jerseys and buy shoes, training materials (jump ropes, etc.) and new warm-up suits. The team did a TV commercial for the storage company as a thank-you recently, showing off their “game” uniforms.
Grant first contacted HSS after a talk with Nikki Albrechtson, whose son Beau was then a key player on the Bulldogs’ state title team.
“She was sort of a ‘team mom’ and a real go-getter,” Grant said of Albrechtson. “She had heard of how Hawaii Self Storage puts aside money for groups and for scholarships. I wrote a letter telling them what we needed.”
HSS, owned by Daniel Ho, has five Oahu locations and sponsors a number of teams in its service areas, including Halos (an East side youth football program), No Fear Softball (Mililani), Kolohe Krew Baseball (Mililani) and Pearl City Highlands Pop Warner Football, and more.
“Our business is twofold,” explained Shaun Salvador, vice president of marketing and sales.“We sell lockers, and we also want to give back to the community and help out, especially during these times. This is a huge part of business.
“When we first heard about Kaimuki, we were anxious to help out,“added Salvador,who also oversees the company’s Community Pride project, which created several programs geared to serving local communities. “And we were really proud of them when they won the state championship.”
While figures weren’t disclosed, “the amount varies between the teams,“said Rita Kristjansdottir, who works on Community Pride.“All we ask for is that we’re showcased as a sponsor.
“It’s important that we support athletics and that kids get exercise,” she added.“We do anything in our power to get them on their feet. Some teams may not have uniforms, so we’re able to get those for them and things they need.”
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