Charter school celebrates a heartwarming donation of new bikes, helmets

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Kamehameha Schools employees donated 30 shiny new bicycles to Kamaile Academy on Friday to give the charter school a new option for its PE curriculum.

Helmets were donated to the school by Boca Hawaii.

“The kids are going to be able to ride around the neighborhood and exercise,” said Paul Kepka, Kamaile Academy principal. “Especially when a lot of them are in their homes right now and they’re not doing as much sports as they would have done otherwise.”

Some 78.7% of Kamaile Academy students are living in economic hardship, compared to a statewide average of 46.9%.

More than 1 in 10 Kamaile students are homeless.

According to Kepka, projects like this “embodies the core values that we are trying to teach our children.”

“It’s about laulima, it’s about cooperating, it’s about aloha and giving things to our children. Supporting our children,” Kepka said.

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