Grant Spurs Soccer Club Into Action
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Windward Volcanoes Quincy, Kaimana, Alex, Noah,
Austin and Patrick removed graffiti from this school
sign during a busy weekend of cleaning up Kailua.
Photos from Karen Igarashi.
The Windward Soccer Club Volcanoes do more than kick around a ball: The players have just completed two weekends kick-starting Kailua into a cleaner, healthier place to live.
“To fulfill our commitment for the grant from the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, we had to give back to the community,” explained Karen Igarashi, the club’s chief fundraiser and soccer mom.“The children decided on what they wanted to do.”
The $5,000 grant, the foundation’s first-ever award from its Windward Youth Activities Fund, goes toward the HYSA club’s soccer training equipment for 10 teams of 140 players, ranging in age from 6 to 13.
Ring leaders for the youth-led service project were Sara McAllaster, 12, Taylor Igarashi, 12, Kiana Bowman, 10, and Cameron Igarashi, 10 - all of Aikahi Elementary School - along with Le Jardin Academy student Andrew Schweitzer, 10.
On July 8, the athletes removed graffiti from 27 bus stops along Keolu Drive, Kailua Road and Mokapu Boulevard. About 30 of the players were so inspired with their beautification project, Igarashi said, they took the extra step of cleaning up the school sign at Kaelepulu Elementary.
“I am proud of painting out graffiti to help make Kailua a clean place to live,” said player Jack Bley.
The following Saturday about 20 keiki (ages 7 to 9) stenciled warnings by 40 storm drains in the Aikahi Park area, reminding residents that any pollutants discarded there would go directly to the sea. The message left was “Mai Kiloi ‘Opala, Malama I ke Kai” (Dump No Waste, Take Care of Our Ocean).
Igarashi said the players enjoyed the community service so much, they asked when the next project is.
“Doing it by yourself could have been hard,” admitted Renee Van Bergeijk, 8, “but having many people made the job a lot easier.”
Cleaning, stencilling supplies and safety gear came from the Storm Water Quality Branch of the city Department of Environmental Affairs, which has sponsored similar cleanups and wipe-outs across Oahu with other community groups.
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