Isle deejay asks
for ‘shirt off your back’

The shirts will be used for an aloha
quilt for the New York victims

---

By Lisa Asato
lasato@starbulletin.com

Local disc jockey Hudson Hott has been on the airwaves asking residents to give up "the shirts off their back" -- for an "aloha quilt" for families of victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.

New York City native Hudson said the quilt would be made of swatches of T-shirts -- literally off people's backs.

"We don't want them to buy a shirt but send in a shirt that they wear, cut an 8-by-10 (inch) square with the name of family members on it and a message," she said. "Write it with a pen, sew it on, and they can drop it off at Star studios."

After Hott, half of the Hudson and Scotty B. morning drive-time team on KUCD-FM 101.9, made the announcement Wednesday, the response has been overwhelming.

"The phones just lit up" with people saying, "I don't know how to sew, but I can give material," said Ulu James, receptionist for Clear Channel Communications Inc., owner of six local stations including Star 101.9 FM.

Alohaquilt.com is donating 120 yards of fabric, Hilo Hattie has offered to pay for shipping the quilt to New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, and the director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Hawaii has volunteered to coordinate the collection of T-shirts from Oahu schools.

"It's going to be gigantic, as large as possible," said Hott, whose father witnessed the attacks and its aftermath from the safety of a rooftop a mile away. She, her producers and volunteers plan to start sewing the quilt this weekend.

"I never thought how big this would get," she said. "This was just a little idea I had at home."

TO DONATE SHIRTS FOR THE ALOHA QUILT Contribute a personalized swatch at any of the following locations. The collection runs through Wednesday at 5 p.m.: Saturday >> Sprint PCS in Pearl City Times Square at 98-1254 Kaahumanu St., 2 p.m.-4 p.m. >> Supercuts in Salt Lake at 846 Ala Lilikoi St., 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Through Wednesday These sites will be collecting swatches during business hours through Wednesday: >> Star 101.9 FM studios at 650 Iwilei Rd., Suite 400; Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. >> Hilo Hattie locations statewide >> Papa John's in Kaneohe, 45-118 Kamehameha Hwy. >> PhotoTrends in Windward Mall, 46-056 Kamehameha Hwy. >> Century 21 All Islands in Kailua, 767 Kailua Road, Suite 102 >> State Farm Insurance at the Hawaii Dental Association Building, 1345 S. Beretania St., No. 101 >> Kemoo Farm in Wahiawa, 1718 Wilikina Dr., Lahaina >> Women Who Run with Wolves; 193 Lahainaluna Rd. >> Alii Dry Cleaners; 910 Honoapiilani Hwy., No. 8B Source: KUCD-FM 101.9