A Party For Kids In Papakolea

Santa certainly has the spirit. As visitors file by, he suddenly bursts into song - “It’s beee-gin-ning to look a lot like Chrissst-mas!” - and then, with a flourish, plucks the red-and-white cap off his head.

Hey, that’s not Santa! “Christmas is my favorite time of year,” announces Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, now “unmasked.”

So it seems. The mayor has agreed to reprise his role as Santa - in full regalia this time - at a holiday party planned by four members of Girl Scout Troop 808 for 250 Papakolea families on Dec. 3 at the Boys & Girls Club there. Also in the lineup are Lina Girl and Danny Kaleikini as emcees, the Hoku Award-winning group Maunalua, hand-picked presents for the kids, games and crafts, and a luau-style Christmas lunch.

This ambitious undertaking is the brainchild of four Senior Girl Scouts - Tate Kaneshige, Liane Leong, Chelsey Moriyama and Alyson Wee - who gathered in the mayor’s office with a handful of party-guests-to-be to meet the mayor (aka Santa) and pose for pictures.

For Mayor Hannemann, playing Santa is a first. The decision to take on such a daunting role took a little persuasion - but just a little. “I believe in the Girl Scouts,” he says, adding with a smile, “and it helps that my wife (Gail) is CEO.”

The mayor, an Iolani grad, was also impressed with the emissary who made the request - Tate Kaneshige. “A young, bright, lovely Iolani student asked me, and I couldn’t say no,” says the mayor, pointing out that he is also an honorary lifetime member of the Girl Scouts.

Santa’s visit is just a small part of the big party dreamed up by four teens intent on earning their Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting and the equivalent of the Boy Scout’s Eagle Scout. The Iolani School sophomores, who’ve known each other since kindergarten, were looking for a community service project that would be as meaningful to them as to the beneficiaries.

“We like kids and we like to shop,” states Liane Leong, daughter of Nori and Lambert Leong of Manoa. And what better season than Christmas to combine both interests?

The next questions were “who?” and “where?”

“We thought of Papakolea because it was close to school,” explains Leong. Though the girls knew little about Papakolea - the only Hawaiian homestead in urban Honolulu - or the families who lived there, they felt the community might appreciate some extra support, especially during the holidays.

“We met with the Girls & Boys Club in Papakolea, and came up with this project to have a Christmas party to interact with the kids,” explains Aly Wee, daughter of Gordon and Lenora Wee of Moanalua. “The whole family is invited.”

Tate Kaneshige, daughter of Nancy Pace, M.D., and Melvin Kaneshige of Kahala, chimes in: “We didn’t really know anything about Papakolea, but they’re the nicest people in the world.”

Adds Wee: “When we visited the families, we were touched by the kindness of the people, and how they take such good care of one another. Even though they have very little, the kids seemed to be so grateful for everything.”

With time, date and place decided, the real work began. The girls began planning the event in detail and then sought support from local businesses, government leaders, friends and families. They wrote letters, made phone calls, planned activities, set the menu, picked up donations, purchased supplies and, of course, shopped for presents.

Each child at the Papakolea Boys & Girls Club was asked to identify their “dream gift” on a card that was collected for the four Girl Scouts, who would play their “Secret Santas.”

One young boy asked for a basketball, explaining, “I’m trying to be more active, and I like to play basketball but don’t have a ball.” Another asked only for a 9.6-volt battery so he could play with the remote-controlled car he got last Christmas. Clothes topped the list for a child who says, “I’m growing really fast and I’m the only boy, so there are no hand-me-downs.” A 3-year-old girl, who has a skin condition, asked for a “dress-up costume” so she can play princess.

Did the four Scouts enjoy the shopping?

“Oh, yes, definitely,” nods Wee, who - along with Leong - drafted and distributed donation requests to area stores while Kaneshige and Moriyama worked with community business partners.

More than 90 local companies and individuals have heeded the call thus far. Donors include City Mill, Queen Liliuokalani Children’s Center, the Soroptimist Club of Honolulu, Kahi Mohala Behavioral Health Hospital, the law firm of Bays Deaver Lung Rose and Baba, the Custom Company, Aloha Airlines, Cane Haul Road, Pepsi Bottling Group, Monarch Insurance, Hastings and Pleadwell, McKinley Car Wash, Benefit Plans Consultant, the Wally Yonamine Foundation, SSFM International and many others.

Donations are still being accepted, according to Kaneshige. “Every gift or cash donation will help us make this party even more special for the children.”

Individuals are also being invited to help contribute gifts or cash. The day of the party, volunteers will help the children make gingerbread houses, decorate ornaments, serve as elves to assist Santa, and lend a hand with other activities.

Though the Gold Award requires 65 hours of community service, the girls estimate they’ll spend considerably more on the party, which is expected to draw 600-plus guests.

“We’re so blessed,” says Theresa Tsuda, a youth development specialist with the Papakolea Boys & Girls Club, who was on hand for the photo shoot at Honolulu Hale. “The girls have been working really hard. We’re really lucky.”

To make a donation or for more information, call 256-3333 or send an e-mail to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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