Students volunteer for a Kamehameha Schools ‘Ohana Adopt-A-Highway cleanup during Earth Month 2025. Courtesy photo

Kamehameha Schools ‘Ohana earned the title of champion in this year’s Adopt-A-Highway Dash for Trash for the annual Earth Month public service competition.

During the dash sponsored by the Hawaii Department of Transportation Maui District, more than 220 volunteers with over a dozen groups on Maui and Molokai turned out to pick up trash along over 30 miles of state highways in April.

The Kamehameha Schools ‘Ohana reportedly held two cleanups during the month and extended the public service activity into a learning experience.

“We understand that students in Kamehameha Schools Maui’s environmental science class identified pollution as a problem affecting our ‘aina and considered how they could be part of a solution,” said Ty Fukuroku, program manager of Environmental Management, Highways Maui District. “Not only did that lead to their participation in Dash for Trash, they also helped plan their cleanup event and shared what they learned with younger students.”

For the students, the dash was both fun and eye-opening.

“It took a lot of planning at first,” said Leihalia Bulusan, a junior at Kamehameha Schools Maui. “We had to send a lot of emails and we had meetings with our Po’o. But when we were able to get out there it was actually very fun.”

According to junior Nawea Cook, the students found more trash than they thought they would.

Kamehameha Schools ‘Ohana receive the 2025 Dash for Trash trophy. Courtesy photo

“Driving up there it doesn’t look that bad but when we actually got out on the road, we realized it’s way worse than we thought,” Cook said. “We found (this cleanup project) to be really fun and it’s really satisfying to go there and do the work and then see all the things that you collect. You feel accomplished.”

Members of Kamehameha Schools Maui’s Parent Teacher Student Organization also volunteered for the highway cleanups.

The Kamehameha Schools ‘Ohana has been with Maui’s Adopt-A-Highway program for nearly 25 years, caring for a two-mile stretch of Kula Highway between mile markers 8 and 10.

For more about Maui County’s Adopt-A-Highway program, go to http://stormwatermaui.com/adopt-a-highway/ .

Kamehameha Schools Maui volunteers pose for a photo during an Adopt-A-Highway cleanup in April. Courtesy photo