Scholarships awarded in honor of Lahaina fire victim, Clyde Wakida

The Clyde Wakida Scholarship Fund was established through donations from friends and family after the August fire.  This year the Fund awarded five recipients, each receiving $2,000. Recipients were: Carla Mae Agrade, Judy Dela Cruz, Blessy Calapit, Cecelia Steiner and John Tumpap.

Clyde Wakida died trying to save the Puapihi Street home he and his wife Penny built together 35 years ago, while sending his wife to safety. “Clyde, like so many kūpuna in this tight-knit community, was born and raised in Lahaina and graduated from Lahainaluna High School in ’67. It’s this deeply rooted connection that Penny, a retired Lahainaluna educator, wants to honor through a scholarship fund for current and future Lahainaluna students,” organizers wrote in the GoFundMe account set up to establish the scholarship.

Additionally, a separate fund in Clyde Wakida’s name was set up with the Lahainaluna High School Foundation.  There were three recipients, with scholarships for $1,000 and two for $750. Recipients were: Angelika Simon, Marianne Torricer and Paolo Van Bramer.