We had beautiful sunny days and huge crowds enjoying the food, games, rides and other fun activities. But the most important thing making that amazing scene possible was the help of a lot of good people! We had a dedicated Carnival Leadership Team of Division Heads and Booth Chairs who had been working since two summers ago to learn and build up skills to run the Carnival this year. Our Class of 2025 student leaders took on this Carnival responsibility on top of their already busy junior year schedules. The Junior Deans, staff, faculty and departments of Punahou School supported us every step along the way. We had volunteers – many with multiple connections to the school and many more with none – fill our nearly 4,000 worker shifts before and during Carnival. All of us came together with the common goal of hosting a successful Carnival! “Thank you” is not strong enough to reflect my deep gratitude to everyone who lent a hand in any way, large or small.
I did ask myself, “Was the sacrifice of family and personal time worth it? The countless missed family meals?” My answer is, yes! I gained so much on this Carnival journey. I’ve grown as a person and as a leader. I’ve modeled for my kids the joy of volunteering for something larger than yourself. I’ve made many new friends whom I would not have met if not for Carnival. I feel very blessed to have been given this opportunity.
A special message to Jill Reppun, Interim Carnival 2025 Chair, and the Carnival 2025 Leadership team. My team and I thank you for your support this year. I hope you learned a lot and had fun along the way. I know you will have a great time with your entire Class of 2026.
My Carnival experience, and more importantly all of the people involved, will be a cherished memory forever. Thank you for letting me be a part of your Carnival journey as well!
Aloha,
Cheryl Kuroda ’88 Looper P’21, ’25
Carnival 2024 Parent Chair