More than 220 volunteers came together this April for a cleaner Maui.

A big congratulations to the Kamehameha Schools ‘Ohana for earning this year’s Dash for Trash Champions title! Their outstanding participation in the annual Earth Month Adopt-A-Highway competition helped make a lasting impact—not only for our roads, but for our ‘āina.

More than 220 volunteers from Maui and Molokai joined in this year’s effort, collecting litter along over 30 miles of state highways. Among them, the students, teachers, and families of Kamehameha Schools Maui stood out for going the extra mile—organizing two separate cleanups and turning the experience into a meaningful environmental learning opportunity.

Kamehameha Schools Maui’s Environmental Science students took the lead by identifying pollution as a problem and coming up with ways they could make a difference. From coordinating cleanup logistics to teaching younger students about what they learned, the effort became more than just a cleanup—it became a project rooted in service, education, and mālama ‘āina.

For participating students, the experience was both educational and fun.

“We greatly appreciate the dedication and support of Kamehameha Schools Maui,” said Ty Fukuroku, Program Manager for Environmental Management at the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highways Maui District. “They not only showed up—they led the way.”

“It took a lot of planning at first,” shared junior Leihalia Bulusan. “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!”

“Driving up there, it doesn’t look that bad,” added fellow junior Nawea Cook. “But when we actually got out on the road, we realized it’s way worse than we thought. It was satisfying to do the work and see the results—you feel accomplished.”

The Kamehameha Schools ‘Ohana has been part of 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. Their long-standing commitment continues to inspire and lead by example.

Mahalo to all the groups and volunteers who participated this year! Every bag of trash collected brings us one step closer to a cleaner, safer, and more beautiful Maui.

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