Students give thanks, give back

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Students at Kamehameha Schools Hawaii are using the holiday season as an opportunity to give thanks and give back while practicing the value of “kahiau,” or selfless generosity. The students bought or made a collection of gifts and packaged them in shoebox presents for other kids who would not receive a present for Christmas if not for this effort.

Students at Kamehameha Schools Hawaii are using the holiday season as an opportunity to give thanks and give back while practicing the value of “kahiau,” or selfless generosity. The students bought or made a collection of gifts and packaged them in shoebox presents for other kids who would not receive a present for Christmas if not for this effort.

On Monday, elementary and middle school students participated in a blessing ceremony and convocation for Thanksgiving and the school’s participation in the Operation Christmas Child project.

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting shoebox gifts for needy children around the world for 20 years. The project is coordinated by Samaratin’s Purse, an international relief organization that uses faith and the example of Christ to help those in need. This is the campus’ eighth year participating in this project.

Asked to reflect on what participating meant to him, fifth-grader Carlos Masuko said, “This is my sixth year and every year I gave a box, and I like doing it because I get to give back to the community and to people that need it.”

Students donated a total of 226 shoebox gifts this year.