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Home for the Holidays

On December 5th, Jeri Lynch once again opened her home in Kāhala to host St. Andrew’s Schools’ annual Home for the Holidays, a benefit for the Queen Emma Annual Fund. This event aims to raise money through providing a unique shopping experience for attendees. The idea of Home for the Holidays is simple – eat, drink and get a little holiday shopping done, but with a twist – guests are made to feel at home. By using a warm, lived-in home as the venue, with friendly and familiar faces at every corner, the event feels more like a fun evening at a friend’s house.

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Upon arrival, attendees were greeted by Head of School,

Dr. Ruth R. Fletcher and some of St. Andrew’s staff members, then escorted through the grand entrance of Lynch’s stunning “Hale Five-O” home which was transformed into a mall of pop-up, local boutiques for browsing and shopping. Personally curated by Lynch, the vendors included Island Bungalow, Izzy & Luke, Jenna Wellein Art and Place. Lynch’s personal impressive art collection gave shoppers reason to pause in between shops posted at every corner and room of the home. Parent volunteers offered drinks and delectable small bites catered by Ginniberries and students from The Priory Chamber Choir and Chamber Strings warmed hearts with their gifts of beautiful holiday music.

One main feature of the event, to which many look forward, is the Festival of Trees – beautifully handcrafted mini Christmas trees and wreaths displayed in the main dining area and available for purchase. “I look forward to buying a mini Christmas tree every year. My daughter Kimberly, ‘04 and I have been to almost every Home for the Holidays, except one,” said Kathy Ishimoto, ’73. This year Ishimoto brought her two-year old granddaughter, Julia, to be a part of this family tradition.

The popularity of the Festival of Trees is perhaps attributed to the attention to detail, creativity and that each handmade tree is from the heart. The trees are donated from the St. Andrew’s Schools’ community – many of which are created and gifted by the faculty and staff members of school. The business office and maintenance crew team up every year to create a themed mini Christmas tree display based on holiday classics like “Snoopy’s Christmas” and “Elf on the Shelf” and always include a custom wood element handcrafted by Danny Paguirigan and Rodrigo Edra. This year, the theme was “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” and Paguirigan and Edra used their woodworking skills to build a sleigh as a base for the Grinch themed tree. “We only have a photo as a guide and need to figure out how to turn pieces of scrap wood into something beautiful. We enjoy it because it makes people smile,” said Paguirigan.

In the end, the night was a success with the event welcoming home 150 attendees and raising more than $20,000 which will be used to support student and faculty programs. “Home for the Holidays is such a festive gathering of the family and friends who support St. Andrew’s Schools,” said Head of School Ruth Fletcher. “I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped make this event a highlight of the holiday season!”

To be invited to next year's event or learn about how to get involved at St. Andrew's Schools, please contact Jennifer Burke, director of institutional advancement, at (808) 532-2441 or jburke@standrewsschools.org

Click here to view photos of the event.