On Nov. 11 the senior class and their family members came together to support the class of 2012’s biggest Project Graduation fundraiser.

Attendees were able to bid on donated items at the silent auction, 5:00-7:30 p.m. Items being auctioned ranged from jewelry to a trip for two to Las Vegas.

“I think it’s pretty good. There are a lot people. I didn’t expect to see so many people here,” said Tu’imana Mateaki, class of 2012 class president.

At 5:30pm live music was performed inside until 7:00pm as Guests enjoyed live Hawaiian and easy listening music by Inside Out as they found their seats in Nāmahana Dining Hall and ate dinner, which was prepared and served by the Royal Order of Kamehameha I.

The menu consisted of classic Hawaiian and local dishes – kalua pig, lomilomi salmon, chicken long rice, squid luau, poke, rice, potato salad, and poi. Students’ families contributed their homemade treats to the dessert bar with a little bit of everything: different flavors of mochi, a chocolate fountain fondue, ‘haole’ brownies, cakes, pies, cookies, and brownies.

“I think it’s pretty good. I think for the money we spent, it was worth it. The food and entertainment were great. I think this was more of a family bonding experience than a class bonding experience,” senior Michael Gorman said.

“It’s really nice to see all the parents and families coming together. It’s a great event and a great way for our class to bond,” said Christopher Kim, ASKSM president and senior.

Students showcased some of their talented peers 7:00-8:00p.m. There were vocal performances by Arielle Aina, Rachel Bega and GregoryJames Juan. There were also hula performances by Christen Chin, Naomi Holokai, Ashley Wendt, Kailee Dudoit, and Tiasha Akre. Members of the class of 2012 also showed their spirit by performing their winning class step and their second-place boys cheerleading routine.

At 8:00, the luau came to an end and parents were asked to leave as seniors got ready for a dance.

Ms. Sharolyn Pali, parent of Mateaki, was a driving force behind the production of this event along with Ms. Kathleen Frampton, class adviser.

“Ms. Frampton and I are co-chairs for this event. I feel absolutely wonderful about the way this event came together. I am grateful for the parents. Without the parents this event wouldn’t have been possible,” Ms. Pali said.

“It was a great turnout, decorations turned out great, lots of people brought desserts, and everyone is happy and friendly. Senior Luau is important for two reasons: it’s a good way families to get together since their kids are graduating in seven months, and it is one of our major fundraisers for project graduation,” Ms. Frampton said.