MEDIA RELEASE
Lt. Gov. James ‘Duke’ Aiona attended the National Signing Day Ceremony to recognize top high school athletes in Hawaii as they signed their Letter of Intent to play college athletics Wednesday, Feb 3.
Aiona congratulates student athletes and their families at the National Signing Day Ceremony.
“Sports, through commitment and dedication, bring out the best within us during the game, but the lessons they teach us last forever,” Aiona said.
Feb. 3 was the first day student-athletes in various sports, such as football, could sign a National Letter of Intent that binds them to a college. More than 60 Hawaii high school student-athletes made their commitments during the event.
“I am proud of all of you for what you have achieved and the journey you have chosen,” Aiona said.
The signing day ceremony was hosted by the Pacific Islands Athletic Alliance (PIAA), which is a non-profit organization that helps market aspiring athletes from the Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa.
“The whole goal is to make things easier to recruit here,” PIAA founder Doris Sullivan said.
The PIAA not only puts on combines and clinics, but the organization also provides free SAT tutoring five times a year for those interested.
College coaches all over the country have gotten to know Sullivan because the PIAA has proven to be an ideal alternative to the hefty expenses it would require to recruit in Hawaii. The organization is instrumental in helping many local players who come from all parts of Hawai`i that seldom get scouted.
Big Island athletes include:
* Christopher Reed, Honokaa High School
* Kelson K.A. Kawai, Kohala High School
* Winston Kailimai, Waiakea High School
* Dathan Toribio, Keaau High School
* Kelii Kekuewa, Kamehameha – Hawaii
* Dane DeMello, Konawaena High School
For more information on the PIAA, visit www.pacificathleticalliance.com