An unidentified youth from Hawaii poses with Izzy, the Olympic mascot, in Atlanta, on Monday. He was part of a group of Hawaii youths who were stranded with no jobs or accommodations.
AP Photo/Jacob N. Ware

The activity yesterday was courtesy of Anheuser-Busch Inc., which stepped forward after hearing of the youngsters' plight and paid their way home.

At least 76 of them were expected to arrive today at Honolulu Airport. The youths bedded down for three nights on a school floor 56 miles south of Atlanta, after promised Olympic job opportunities fell through.

On arrival in Honolulu, they are in line for a meal and refreshments in the Governor's Lounge at the airport, and those going on to Kauai today are to board a Hawaiian Airlines charter for Lihue.

Kauai student Shani Sanchez, 17, said of Atlanta, "I never want to come back again. All of us are just really disgusted."

Seven of the students are taking up an Anheuser-Busch offer of additional free travel to their colleges on the mainland and were not returning directly to Kauai.

Some were staying longer in Atlanta; some will spend some time in Honolulu.

Yesterday, they met Gov. Ben Cayetano and August A. Busch IV. an Anheuser-Busch vice president.

"Since last week, my office, state and county officials in Georgia, the Red Cross and Olympics officials have been doing all we can to resolve the problems that left our students in a difficult situation," Cayetano said. "I told the students that I was proud of them. Georgia citizens who've been working with the students have been impressed with the students, and Lt. R.L. Dunn of the Monroe County Sheriff's office, in particular, said the students were 'the finest group of young people' he's ever encountered.

"During the weekend, I discussed the problem with (Georgia) Gov. Zell Miller, and he informed me that Anheuser-Busch had come forward to pay for the Kauai students' trip home from Atlanta to Kauai."

Cayetano added he had lengthy discussions with Busch and was most impressed with the firm's commitment to help. "Mr. Busch has rolled out the red carpet - at his company's expense - to entertain the students before their departure aboard a chartered flight."

The Kauai students and chaperons traveled to Atlanta after responding to letters sent by companies that recruited students nationwide to work at the Olympics. They were promised jobs, food and lodging. But the companies failed to fulfill the commitments.

The state of Georgia is investigating. Georgia investigators are questioning officials of two companies that recruited the students and two others that hired the recruiting companies, said Carolyn Mills of the Georgia Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs.

She said she's not sure any criminal activity was involved, since the students did not pay the companies anything.

"No money changed hands, but they did give up summer jobs ... and they reorganized their lives.

"We've got to look at the entire picture and determine the best way to resolve the problem," Mills said.