CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Wheeler Elementary School third-graders visited Kaaawa Elementary yesterday to donate gifts they collected in the wake of recent floods. Keaolani Cenido-Niheu, left, Dine Leonillo, Quinton Moana and Kenton Carter-Lemn checked out the gifts. Leonillo and Moana are from Wheeler.

Hearts of gold

Wheeler students collect gifts for Kaaawa kids affected by floods

Wheeler Elementary School third-graders acted quickly to collect books and toys when they heard about flooding that destroyed the personal belongings of Kaaawa youngsters.

The Wheeler students are following the Golden Rule, said teacher Dana Shishido-Leonillo.

"If something happened to them, they would have wanted the same kind" of help from others, she said.

The 60 "Wheeler Warriors" delivered several boxes of gifts yesterday to 150 Kaaawa Elementary students who call themselves the "Ocean Warriors." The gifts actually will be distributed later to children hardest hit by the six weeks of rain that began in February.

Fifth-grader Keaolani Cenido-Niheu, whose family lived in one of the hardest hit homes, said she lost "lots of clothes, bedding, bags, and my homework journal" and a favorite ring in the knee-high water.

Her family is still scrubbing mud and mold off their home, but with the visit from the Wheeler students, Cenido-Niheu said: "I feel better because they're caring for us. They think about us, and they said they're always thinking of us even though they're on the other side of the mountain."

She said everyone introduced themselves to one another and she made several new friends. Throughout the day, the students played games and ate lunch together on a big lawn under sunny skies, and further bonded their friendship dancing and giggling to the "Cha Cha Slide."

After a short ceremony in which the donations were presented, many of the Kaaawa students spontaneously called out, "THANK YOU!"

Kaaawa Principal Todd Watanabe said the school was closed for two days because of flooding on some parts of the campus in early March. The school had a higher rate of absenteeism and illness because of the weather and state assessment testing was interrupted, he added.

"Their whole routines were disrupted," he said of his students. Some are still dealing with the aftereffects of the water damage.

Shishido-Leonillo said the toy and book drive was a great success because so much was collected in just one week. The 60 children who donated are all from military families affected by deployment to Iraq.

The Wheeler students were excited about their project, "Hearts of Gold," Shishido-Leonillo said. One boy donated his bicycle. Third-grader Myra Andrew donated $150 of her own money and her younger sister, Mary Ann, gave $20. The money was used to buy more toys and books.