The Club donates backpacks and water bottles for deserving keiki
The Hawaii County Police Department again staged a “Backpack Drive” for needy and homeless children to start off the new school year on a good note.  The Rotary Club of Hilo joined in again this year, supplying 102 backpacks along with a water bottle included in each pack.
 
“It’s an important part of feeling like a child ‘belongs’… is no different than other kids,” said the Club’s Community Service director, Wally Wong. “Research shows that underprivileged keiki do better in school when they are not ‘singled out’ as different.  Having a brand new backpack may seem like a small thing, but its effect can be powerful,” concluded Wong.
 
“The Rotary Club of Hilo is proud to continue this annual donation,” said Steve Handy Jr, current Club President. “I figure that it took around 80 volunteer hours to shop, buy and assemble the backpacks and water bottles. And we estimate that the value was somewhere around $1000.  That’s a lot of savings for needy kids and a great annual project for our club,” said Handy.