Mahalo to Our Donors

From financial contributions to community engagement to individual messages, we are so grateful to our community for their expressions of support for Namahana’s mission and vision.

Mahalo to our incredible donors!

The generosity of our donors plays a critical role in making Namahana School a reality. Each donation is instrumental in shaping the future of Namahana School. So far, our pioneering donors have enabled us to fund essential pre-opening expenses, acquire a permanent home for Namahana School, and develop an innovative educational model. Their contributions continue to help us attract highly qualified volunteers and staff, provide operational support and create a nurturing environment. The benevolence of our donors has the capacity to transforms the lives of individual students and impact the broader community. Their commitment to education empowers us to inspire and cultivate the next generation of leaders. We are immensely grateful for the role that donors play in making the Namahana School dream come true, and we recognize their invaluable contribution to shaping a brighter future for our students.

Namahana School Donors

Donor names are listed in alphabetical order

*Anonymous Donors (50+)

A.J. & Carey Sutton, in honor of Leora and Mile

Al & Diana Albergate

Alan Gevins & Isabel Sam Vargas

Alice Bell

Alice Luck

Alison Chuang

Amalia Ruck

Amanda Galbraith

Andrea Gootnick

Andrew W Kortschak

Angie Bresnahan

Anna Gertraud Torggler

Anne Carter

Annika Hirmke

Annika Walden

Antonia Jolles

Ashley Sanchez Wagner

Avalon Gastropub

Barbara Butler

Barbara & Garry Cameron

Beth & Jon Champlin

Betsy Skinner

Bill & Lucinda Robertson

Brian & Britt Cooper

Brittany Maxson

Carolyn Lauro

Catherine B. Scott & Ruth M. Osterhout

Catherine Bruns

Chan Zuckerberg Kauai Community Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation

Cheryl & Bill Jensen

Christ Memorial Church

Christine Kobayashi

Christopher Davis

Corina & Ruddman Davis

Craig & Trisha Devereaux

Cyndi Ewald

Darian Parrish

Dave Williams

David & Sarah Goodale

David Lemon

David Nichols

David W. Knickel & Jennifer L. Knickel

Debbie Oliver

Debbie Schenker & Skip White

Deborah Schenker

Denise Kaufman

Desert Nichols

Diana & Al Albergate

Diana Dole

Discovery Land Company

Don & Laura McConnell

Don D'Elia

Donna Apilado-Schamachee

Donna Rice

Doug & Sharon Britt

Dr. & Mrs. Richard Goodale

Dr. Lee Putnam

Elizabeth Letcher & Steve Doberstein

Elliot & Bridget Thorpe

Emily Krause

Employee Leasing Company

Erik Hanson

Erin Kelley

Evans McGowan

Evelyn Brodie

Faith Blalock

Flavia & Nick Wright

Frank Hagen

Gary & Bebe Smith

Garry Cameron

Gary Seals

Gina Lobaco

Grace Groom

Greg & Alice Greenwood

Gretchen Imdieke, ND

Hanalei Center

Hanalei Hawaiian Civic Club

Hannah Hunt

Heather Ford

Hulali

Hunt Family Foundation

Ian Nelson

Irene Blechner

Island Ace Hardware

Jack Harter Helicopters, Inc.

Jack Lewis

Jan Kumasaka

Janet Ramatici

Jansen Hug ‘Ohana

Jason & Winona Sutton

Jean Frances Flaherty

Jeff & Barbara Goodman

Jen Vanderlaan

Jenna Bieller

Jeremy Burns

Jessica Kau'i Fu

Jill & Alex Petrov

Jill & Sean McAlister

Jim & Debbie Oliver

Jim & Harvest Edmonds

Jim & Laura Schwerin

Jim & Lisle Stigler

Jim & Mary Luck

Joan Maas

Joe Hughes

Johanna Ventura

John E. McGowan

Jonah Sulla Menashe

Jonathan Kissida

Jonathan McRoberts

Jones Ohana

Jony & Heather Ive

Joseph Hughes

Joy Brahmst & Lynn Christensen

Joyce Kehoe Smith

Joyce Mahadevi Farmer

Joyce Marshall

Judith Smiertelny

Julia A. Rossi

Julie & Koko Kanealii

Julie Rosanova

Julie Wallace

Ka 'Ohana Rogers

Kanoa Doyle

Karen & Conrad Schmidt

Karen & Richard Goodale

Karen Hutchens

Karen Smith

Kathy Nelson

Kauaʻi Albatross Network

Kauai Energy Institute

Kauai North Shore Lions Foundation

Kaye & Mike Hurtt

Kaye Hurtt

Kelly Sutter

Kelsie Hammitt

Kevin & Alex Newburg

Kilauea Japanese Association

Kilauea Paint and Feed

Kimber Family

Knickel Family 12° to Dreams Foundation

Kukui IT

Kyle Georgina Marsh

Laird Hamilton

Larry Chatfield

Lee Roversi

LEF Foundation

Leona B.

Lindsey Hoffman

Link L. Wilson

Lisa Mireles

Living in Process Network

Lorraine & Tom Mull

Lorrie Meyercord

Luna & Skye Dana

Manu Nahenahe Trust

Marianne Remmy

Marion Paul

Mary Luck

Mary Paterson

Mary Roush

McAlister Family

Mckenzie Rutkowski

Mehana Blaich-Vaughan

Melanie & Scott Parker

Melinda Friedman

Meryl Eisen

Michael Olman & Peter Hayashida

Michele Cagle

Mike & Eirca Oliver

Mike Kaplan & Rose Contreras

Mimsy Bouret

Mokihana Pest Control, Inc.

Mona Pedersen

MotherDaugherHawaii

Nafisseh Soroudi

Natalie Baker

Nate Carden & Beth Woods

Nathan Myers

Neil Dana

NewSchools Venture

Nicole Shores

North Shore Give

Orien B Wilkinson Huff

Pam Murphy

Pancho Graham

Patricia Darcey

Paul Brewer

Paula & Harvey Cohen

PayPal Giving Fund

Pete Sidley

Polly & Doug Phillips

Pure Kauai

Rachel Anderson

Rainer Rey

Raquel Naomi Akeakamai Castro

Resort Stay

Rex & Pamela Burrell

Richard Qualsett

Rick & Amy Marvin Ohana

Rob & Sandy Baker

Robert Abell

Robert Hoare

Roberta Jones

Robin Savage-Thompson

Rod Easterly

Rory Enright

Rose Hayes

Rosemary Vali

Roxanne Belmonte

S.W. Wilcox Trust

Sandra Tillotson Foundation

Sarah A. Dinger

Sarah Herring

Sarah Konz

Sarah McIntyre

Sarah Rossiter

Scott Cantor

Sean & Jill McAlister

Sean Ahearn

Sharleen Dyre

Sheree Latif

Sheryl Kutter

Steve & Janine Hunt from the Hunt Family Foundation

Steve Burrell

Steve Doberstein & Elizabeth Letcher

Steve Milter

Stillpath Fund

Sue Parry

Susie Bunt

SW Wilcox Trust

The Eckert/Van Way Family

The Hale Uluwehi Charitable Fund

The Mazursky Family Foundation

The Nashes

The Rotary Club of Hanalei Bay

The WholeSum3 Lifestyle LTD.

Thomas Daubert

Todd & Michele Rundgren

Tomlinson Foundation

Turi Widsteen & Keith White

Vehr Family Foundation

Victor Zue & Stephanie Seneff

Victoria Harris

Waldorf Family Fund

Walter & Marcia Kortschak

* If you anonymously donated to Namahana School and would like to change your donor recognition preference or if you would like to adjust how you/your ʻohana is recognized, please email us at aloha@namahanafoundation.org

Support from Mayor Derek Kawakami

Quote from County of Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami and his 2022 video testimony before the Hawaiʻi State Charter Commission in support of Namahana School’s application:

“I am an enthusiastic supporter of Namahana School and the diverse learning opportunities it brings to our students who will gain the skills to empower themselves to actively contribute to a resilient future on Kauaʻi.”

  • "Namahana School is evolving to fulfill its promise for the ‘ohana of our North Shore communities, and I believe this remarkable opportunity has appeared in part because we are now ready for it."

    Dr. Mehana Vaughn, Namahana School Governing Board Member

  • “We know the challenges faced by north shore families, having to send their children to middle and high schools quite far from their homes. The idea of the charter school is something that we had hoped would one day be a reality, and wanted to help in any way possible.”

    Anonymous Donors

  • “The creation of a middle and high school for local children on the North Shore has long been a need in our community. There is so much about this project that excites and inspires me, both as a Kīlauea resident and a parent of two young children. I think the team that has been assembled to build Namahana is exceptional and I look forward to supporting their efforts to elevate educational opportunities available for our keiki.”

    Līhau Paik, Kīlauea Resident

  • “We’ve been watching closely from the beginning as this inspiring project has evolved, and we know just how much it will lift up our community. Having an accessible middle and high school for local children is a goal that has mobilized North Shore families for years, and we believe that Namahana has the perfect team to make it happen.”

    Mike Kaplan & Rose Contreras, Namahana Donors & Kīlauea Residents

Mahalo to our amazing community who have been part of Namahana’s vision from the very beginning.

There were many community members and volunteers who took part in Namahana’s initial community engagement, outreach and due-diligence. From 2019-2020, we conducted 1:1 meetings with community leaders, including teachers, students, kūpuna (elders), cultural advisors, and local nonprofits. We also hosted five Listening Sessions in Kīlauea, Hanalei, Hāʻena and two Student Listening Sessions at Kīlauea and Hanalei elementary school​s to gather feedback. Participation at these various sessions helped us hone in on our shared values and vision of the type of school experience we, as a community, want for our keiki (children). The support from our community drives the dream of Namahana School forward— we are so grateful to each person who has given their time, energy and aloha to this initiative!

 Family names listed in alphabetical order

Adams, Anderson, Andrews, Audo-Beliov, Augerot, Avilla, Baker, Bartholomew, Bayless, Belz, Blaich, Bowen, Brahmst, Bresnahan, Brown, Butker, Cadiz, Calig, Carril, Carlson, Catley, Champlin, Chandler, Cherry, Chung, Concepcion, Connors, Cornell, Correa, Covan, Cowden, Crisler, Cullen, Davies, Davis, Debonet, Dinenberg, Distefano, Drolson, Dunford, Edmonds, Fatupo, Fendentz, Fleming, Fonseca, Forgey, Forrest, Frazer, Fu, Funaro, Heen, Herington, Herring, Hermstad, Gerding, Giorgio, Gochros, Gomez, Goodman, Goodwin, Gottfried, Grooms, Gross, Guerrero, Guilbault, Guy, Hadley, Ham Young Haneberg , Harada, Harburg, Hayden, Hedstrom, Hicks, Inanod, Joyner, Jones, Kaleiohi, Kanehe, Kaʻaumoana, Keefer, King, Kissida, Kiyak-Boughton, Kocak, Krovoza, Lamore, Lantagne, Lathrop, Laughlin, Layaoen, L’Hote, Lindman, Listman, Lowry, Low, Malandruccolo, Marston, Martin, Marvin, Massey, McCarthy, McHugh, McRoberts, Medeiros, Mersberg, Miller, Molina, Nagendra, Nakazawa, Nebre, Nelson, Obrien, Olanolan, Oliver, Padilla, Paik, Paterson, Patrizio, Paul, Petchu, Potter, Prieto, Randall, Repetto, Reid, Rider, Rodger, Roversi, Rowan, Ruck, Sausen, Schwartz, Seals, Shaw, Shea, Sitzler, Smith, Spellman, Sproat, Squire, Steed, Stein, Stewart, Takahashi, Tay, Thayer, Torio, Tranbarger, Vastola, Vesely, Waipa, Wann, Whitfield, Willis, Wong, Woodward, Worley, Wright, Yokotake, Young, Zabek, Zimmerman, Zietz