Kauai school receives ukuleles

Popular Hawaiian slack-key guitarist John Cruz will join students from the A+ After School Program at ‘Ele’ele Elementary School on Kauai on Monday as they receive a gift of 20 Tangi ukuleles from the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation and Sprint Hawaii.

As part of a program to promote Hawaiian music education in public elementary schools, Sprint Hawaii arranged for the donation of 20 premium ukuleles. Kupuna Janet Kahalekomo, who oversees the Hawaiian Studies program at the school, will be accepting the donation on behalf of the school.

This program is part of a larger community relations initiative launched in May 2008 by Sprint Hawaii and Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation to donate instruments to music education programs in Hawaii. A portion of the profit from every new Sprint activation and phone upgrade of a qualified music phone will be donated to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation in support of the Hawaiian music initiative.

Also, when customers download music from the Mountain Apple catalogue – available on Sprint phones and featuring tracks from Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (Braddah Iz) and The Brothers Cazimero — a portion of the profit will be donated to the music education program.