TheBuzz
TheBuzz
THIS year's corporate sponsorships of $2,500 to $5,000 for comedian Frank DeLima's annual Student Transition Convention may have to be refunded as part of the fallout from the Hawaii State Teachers Association strike. Some convention dates were canceled as teachers walked picket lines. Sponsors’ dollars
not for naughtAs of Friday, the show was to go on at least three times on Oahu, with only the neighbor island conventions in question. Schools were informing organizers they were told to cancel all special functions by Department of Education.
The nonprofit Adult Friends for Youth coordinates what are usually 10 conventions statewide to prepare sixth graders for the transition to intermediate school.
Adult Friends founder and CEO Sid Rosen said the conventions cost a total of $107,000. Rosen was awaiting the outcome of a meeting between school superintendent Paul LaMahieu and the state's district superintendents before deciding the next move.
"We will be back in touch with the sponsors," he said, "We leave it up to them, since we've already incurred costs." He said sponsors could elect to move forward with sponsorship for this year, in spite of cancellations, or to apply their contribution to next year.
Rosen said corporate sponsorship is crucial to secure venues and provide instruction students receive before and during the conventions.
He said Kaiser Permanente paid to print 14,000 workbooks for this year's conventions. "We sent them out well in advance as the material in the workbook helps prepare students for participation in the convention," Rosen said.
Other corporate sponsors include American Savings Bank and parent company Hawaiian Electric Industries, AES Hawaii, Liberty House, Unity House, the Lions Club of metropolitan Honolulu, Alexander & Baldwin, KTA Super Stores and Oceanic Cable.
Rosen said he expects to hear tomorrow whether neighbor island sixth graders would be able to participate this year, following LaMahieu's meetings with district superintendents Friday.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com