What’s New in Kailua-Kona? May 23, 2011

Life in Kailua-Kona has been good to us all! In March we welcomed the newest member of our teaching team, lead teacher, Lori Onaka. Lori has come to us after years of DOE experience as a kindergarten teacher. Since her Tūtū and Me van driving lesson within a few days of hire, she’s jumped right into the driver’s seat and can be seen on the roadways of West Hawai‘i maneuvering “the beast”. She fit in beautifully from the first day and aside from not having all the ins-and-outs of Partners in Development Foundation and Tūtū and Me under her belt, you would never know that she hasn’t been a member of this team F O R E V E R.

The month of May saw us all gather together for our 1st ever Walk-A-Thon to support Partners in Development Foundation’s annual fundraiser in July. Lori, Rita, Cara, Kahuo‘i and Mardee all walked 3 miles at the Maka‘eo Walking path in Kailua- Kona. Leimana manned the water bottles and kept us honest by monitoring our laps. Needless to say, Mardee arrived late and was the last to cross the “finish” line. Ever heard the story of the Tortoise and the Hare? Everyone finished and with each person’s commitment we helped to raise much needed funds for the foundation.

We welcome Lori and congratulate the Kona teaching team for their efforts in this year’s annual fundraiser.