Sales Are Booming At Kahuku.org
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usThe staff at Kahuku.org thought it could catch its collective breath last week with the school football team in Utah for a much-anticipated matchup with Bingham High.
Instead, the school store, which specializes in Red Raider football-related merchandise, found itself tending to the school’s beloved fan base in a big way.
“We get orders from all over the world, including Iraq,” store manager Alicia Esche said. “People have been stopping in to buy things for their family members before heading to Utah for the game. We have a lot of alumni in Utah - they’re very loyal.As the season gets closer, they’re getting more amped up about Kahuku football.”
Kahuku.org is preparing for what Esche calls “crunch month.” All three of Kahuku’s home games are in September, beginning with next Saturday’s opener against Kalaheo. (They also host McKinley and Farrington Sept. 22 and 28, respectively.)
“We have to make sure we get all of our T-shirts out,” she said.
Located next to the library, Kahuku.org is a project of the Ko`olauloa Educational Alliance Corp., a nonprofit “offering career pathways partnering with the schools, businesses, and communities for the benefit of students in the Kahuku Complex,” states its website. MaryAnne Long ran it for years before retiring and remains involved as a volunteer.
Unique about its athletic apparel is that students are heavily involved in all aspects of its creation. The store not only raises support for the school, it also teaches teens how to run a business - in particular, an e-commerce operation.
“They’re in here all summer,” Esche said. “They design the shirts, and they help with the planning and the selling and shipping of items.”
Kahuku.org also has a grant from the Mayor’s Task Force on Drug Abuse to develop T-shirts. “It’s an exciting new project to be involved in,” said Lonia Burroughs, who succeeded Long as KEAC’s business manager.
Regular store hours are weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On game night, Kahuku.org mans a tent in the stadium, packed high with merchandise. About 5 percent of its orders are placed online, with the rest of coming via phone and walk-ins, noted Esche, who has a staff of 10, including students.
Esche estimates that 70 percent of its stock has to do with Red Raider football. They have everything from bibs and baby beanies to car flags, license plate frames, necklaces and all kinds of clothes.
Seven different Red Raider football T’s are currently in stock. Coaches endorse Kahuku.org’s creations, at least indirectly. “Whatever the coaches put on is what everyone else wants to put on,” Esche explained.Windbreakers are big, for example, and their game shirts.
Foodland and Tamura’s currently stock Kahuku.org T-shirts as a fundraiser for the school.
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