Washington club provides funds for Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena classroom supplies

A Rotary club in Washington state has provided $6,400 for classroom supplies at Lahaina’s Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary School.

The donation was received from the Rotary Club of Lacey (WA) on May 30. These funds were a result of their annual Duck Dash fundraising event, which had been running for 35 years.

With the support of Laura Stanton and Katie Zimmerman of Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset, along with Lori Kaufman, who chaired the third grade level at the school, every teacher at Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena School was able to purchase $220 worth of supplies for their classrooms from Amazon.

In the latter part of spring, Bill McGregor, who was soon to be the Rotary governor of Rotary District 5020, and Jim Burton, a former president of the Rotary Club in Lacey, Wash., visited the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset. At the meeting, they saw a slide presentation showcasing the fire-relief initiatives that the Lahaina Sunset Club had been supporting. Following the meeting, they engaged in a discussion with Katie Zimmerman, the community service chair, regarding the requirements of the two elementary schools in West Maui that had been affected by the fires on Aug. 8. McGregor and Burton extended an invitation to Zimmerman to seek financial assistance from their club’s foundation, which she accepted.

In a letter from the club, it was stated: “We understand the significance of Rotary’s work in the communities we serve, and we are delighted to be able to contribute to the positive impact you are making in yours.”

Members of the Rotary Club of Lahaina Sunset said Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena teachers thanked them, and some said “it felt like Christmas had arrived early.”