DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Punahou students were treated to a private concert by Jack Johnson yesterday as their prize for winning the "2006 Oahu Cans for Cash Fundraising Challenge." When Johnson was introduced, seventh-graders Emma Benjamin, left, Chloe Selarque and Lelyse Collat led the students in singing "Happy Birthday" to the performer, whose birthday is today. Eighth-grader Kaiwi Crabb is also pictured. CLICK FOR LARGE
|
|
Johnson salutes can-do kids
Jack Johnson congratulated recyling winners with three private concerts
HE MIGHT BE taking some time off from a recording career that has already earned him two Grammy Award nominations, but Jack Johnson isn't slowing down when it comes to working with local schools.
The North Shore resident spent the morning before his birthday at Punahou School, performing three private concerts for students as a surprise for winning the "2006 Oahu Cans for Cash Fundraising Challenge."
Johnson's nonprofit Kokua Hawaii Foundation partnered with Reynolds Recycling and the Ball Corp. to offer a $1,000 grand prize to the school that collected the most recyclables. Punahou's Luke Center for Public Service redeemed more than 90,000 bottles and cans, which translated into almost 7,000 pounds of material and more than $5,500 in returned deposits. The money will be donated to a variety of local environmental initiatives and organizations.
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Jack Johnson told the Punahou students, "Being the biggest recyclers on the island, you're teaching your parents about what they should be doing." The two-time Grammy nominee gave three private concerts yesterday.
|
|
"Being the biggest recyclers on the island, you're teaching your parents about what they should be doing," Johnson told the final group of students that assembled in a courtyard yesterday for the concert.
Sporting a Kokua Hawaii Foundation T-shirt covered in lei along with his standard boardshorts and slippers combo, the Kahuku High School graduate started with "The Three R's," an environmentally friendly tune that encourages listeners to reduce, reuse and recycle. The rest of his 20-minute set kept with the themes of service and stewardship, with Johnson accompanied by guitarist Kawika Kahiapo as the well-mannered kids sat politely and waved handwritten signs with recycling themes.
Afterward, Johnson met with Jacqueline Chang and Chad Kamisugi, the school's student representatives for the project, before speaking with the media.
"The good thing about this contest is probably the fact that it brings all these cameras here," he said. "It brings more attention to recycling in general."
Johnson also followed up on comments made during last month's Kokua Festival, when he expressed displeasure with development plans at Turtle Bay Resort during a pre-concert press conference and while on stage at the Waikiki Shell.
"I think the main issue that everybody on that side of the island wants to see is just a little more energy put into the environmental impact statement," he said. "The EIS they're going off of is 20 years old.
"Anybody who's grown up out there or spent a lot of time out there knows how much the North Shore has changed ... I think it's a safety issue. I can't say that everybody shares the same opinion as me, (but) from the people I talk to, a lot of people feel the same way."