"Give with Pauahi" campaign offers beneficiaries an opportunity to pay it forward

Sept. 13, 2018

Contributed by Ben Balberdi

Kamehameha Schools’ Office of Advancement kicked off a new give-back campaign focused on providing beneficiaries an opportunity to give with Pauahi by volunteering their time or making a donation to the Pauahi Foundation to help uplift the Hawaiian community.

The campaign supports KS’ efforts to identify and attract new resources – beyond its endowment – to advance Native Hawaiian learning.

“Ke Ali‘i Pauahi has helped so many of her people achieve better and enriching lives through education,” said Tara Wilson, director of advancement at KS and executive director of the Pauahi Foundation. “As the Hawaiian population continues to grow, so does the need. To see real change for the Hawaiian community to thrive, it will take a kākou effort, and simply put, Kamehameha Schools cannot do it alone. ”

The campaign launched last Friday, Sept. 7, with a television commercial aired on Spectrum OC16. The first of three commercials featured Felicia Lum – a single mother of two who gives with Pauahi through a post-high scholarship she created to honor the life of her son, Blaise Baldonado, a 2005 graduate of KS Kapālama.

The commercials will be the centerpiece of the campaign and will run throughout the months of September and October during KS Kapālama football games aired on Spectrum OC16's XCast and XCast2. The combination of a website and social media presence will provide further support for the duration of the campaign.

“Princess Pauahi has given so much to my sons in educational opportunities,” Lum said. “I plan to give back as long as I can so that other Hawaiian learners can have the same opportunity provided to my sons.”

In addition to Lum, other beneficiaries will be featured throughout the campaign, including two other commercials sharing the stories of Janis Kane, a KS graduate and employee, and Kūmalie Dias-Blake, a KS Kapālama student.

“Pauahi’s legacy to me is a reflection of who she was as an individual – a strong Hawaiian servant leader,” added Kane, who has been giving with Pauahi for over 35 years through her work, community service and scholarship donations to the Pauahi Foundation. “Now it’s our kuleana to take the opportunity she provided and turn it around into serving others.”

To learn more about the Give with Pauahi campaign, visit givewithpauahi.org.

Give with Pauahi - Janis Kane

Janis Kane, a KS alumna and employee, gives with Pauahi because she believes it is now her kuleana to continue that legacy of serving others.

Princess Pauahi has given so much to my sons in educational opportunities. I plan to give back as long as I can so that other Hawaiian learners can have the same opportunity provided to my sons.
Felicia Lum