The Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association continued their support of Pearl City High School with monetary donations presented on Friday, January 29, 2021 to PCHS Project Grad, PCHS Band and Robotics Programs.
I joined Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association President Shawn Sablan to present check donations to PCHS 2021 Project Grad Chair Tammy Fitzgerald and Project Grad Coordinator Jeanna Nomura ($1000.00), PCHS Band Director Chad Kamei ($500.00), and PCHS Robotics Advisor Hai Nguyen ($250.00). Pearl City High School Principal Joe Halfmann and Student Activities Coordinator Kyle Miyashiro also represented PCHS during the check presentations that were held in the school administration building courtyard.
The Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association is extremely grateful for the opportunity to be in the position to support Pearl City High School during this time of need when the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected school budgets and ability to properly fund school programs as well as supplies.
Tammy Fitzgerald – Chair, PCHS Project Grad
“Thank you for being such a blessing to our keiki here at Pearl City High School. The monies will go towards helping them have a better time during graduation. This year has been quite a challenge for us fundraising wise, and the money is going to be definitely appreciated as we come to the close of our year. In the past, it’s been about a drug free graduation. This year it’s also in support of our graduating seniors because we may or may not be able to have an event. This will help bring the love to them and show them that we appreciate the graduating seniors.”
Chad Kamei – Band Director, PCHS Band Programs
“As everybody knows, the budget’s for the DOE is really troublesome this upcoming year so this is really going to help further some of the things our students can do. Supplies for the kids. Families have been out of work so for some of the things like reeds and things so they will able to play their music. The donation is going to help us serve all our students and their needs to get back into playing music again, because that’s what they need right now."
Hai Nguyen – Teacher/Advisor, PCHS Robotics Program
“Thanks again for thinking of our program to be a recipient of a Pearl City Shopping Center Donation! We will be using the donation to purchase parts for our robotics program. This will allow us to continue our design/redesigning of our robots without delay, thus allowing our teams to remain competitive and strive to reach our goal of repeating as state champions in the VEX Robotics Competition.
So far, our team A is ranked #1 in Hawaii and our B team is 3rd in the remote skills ranking in Hawaii. The #1/2 ranked teams in Hawaii after the Hawaii State Championship will earn spots to the remote virtual VEX World Championships in May. The 3rd spot to worlds will be awarded to the Excellence Award winner at the State Championship in April. We are looking good so far, hope it continues through states!”
Joe Halfmann, Principal, Pearl City High School
“We’re always very grateful the support from the Pearl City Shopping Center. Support is always the key especially during this time when funding is uncertain. So, support from the community in all kinds of ways is really important for all three, our Project Grad, Robotics and our Band program. Right now it’s more challenging than ever, and so the community support really gets us through.”
PCHS Project Grad
Pictured: (L-R) Tammy Fitzgerald, Chair, PCHS Project Grad, Jeanna Nomura, PCHS Project
Graduation and Shawn Sablan, President, Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association
PCHS Band Program
Pictured: (L-R) Chad Kamei, Band Director, PCHS and Shawn Sablan,
President, Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association
PCHS Robotics Program
Pictured: (L-R) Hai Nguyen, Teacher/Advisor, PCHS Robotics Program and
Shawn Sablan, President, Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association
Pictured: (Front row L-R) Barry Villamil , Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association; Tammy Fitzgerald, Chair PCHS Project Graduation; Jeanna Nomura, PCHS Project Graduation; Hai Nguyen, Advisor, PCHS Robotics Program
(Back row L-R) Chad Kamei, PCHS Band Director; Joe Halfmann, Principal, PCHS; Shawn Sablan, President, Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association