Pearl City High students won the $2,000 Converse "Punk Your Chucks" award for their school’s arts program at the Hurley Walk the Walk fashion competition Saturday in Huntington Beach, Calif., during the U.S. Open Surfing meet. Pearl City High was one of six schools selected for the finals. Thirty schools from across the U.S. entered the fashion competition. Twenty-four Pearl City students, teacher Nikki Takai and four chaperones made the trip. Hurley covered expenses. For the Converse portion of the event, each school was given a pair of Chuck Taylor sneakers to "punk out," and Pearl City won. The top fashion prize of $25,000 went to Corona Del Mar High …

…Former Hawaii state Sen. John Leopold, now the county executive of Anne Arundel County, Md., met first lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday as she toured Annapolis with daughter Sasha and President Barack Obama‘s sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng. Leopold represented Manoa, Makiki and Waikiki when he was a senator here.

He told the first lady that he campaigned in the 1970s in the Makiki neighborhood where a young Barack lived with his grandmother and knocked on their door seeking votes. Leopold and the first lady also talked about the county’s Learn to Live Program, aimed at fighting obesity …

…An 80th birthday celebration to honor the late Don Ho will be held by "Al Waterson and You" tonight from 6 to 9 at Don Ho’s Grill at Aloha Tower. Haumea Ho, Don’s widow, will dance hula and entertainers who performed in Don’s shows over the years, plus other performers and Don’s friends, will take part. Expected are Angel Pablo, Tokyo Joe, Al Harrington, Jordan Segundo, Linda Coble, Taimane Gardner, Perry family members, Paul Hanohano, Dennis Graue and more. Waterson will emcee and sing. There is no admission charge, but calling 528-0807 for table reservations is recommended …

Melveen Leed will headline a benefit concert for Hawaii School for the Deaf and the Blind on Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m. at the Hawaii Theatre. "The Many Moods of Melveen Leed" will kick off Deaf Awareness Month in September. When I spoke with her Tuesday, Melveen was pumped up about this show. The versatile singer said she will sing all the different styles of music for which she has been known over the years. She will be joined by a strong group of performers including Mihana Souza, Kaukahi, Byron Yasui, Benny Chong, Pierre Grill and Touch of Gold.

It’s a really big show that also includes a jazz swing ensemble, African drumming, a heartwarming collaboration with Melveen and the school’s students, and a 9/11 tribute to the Red, White and Blue. Lena Merrill, the reigning Miss Hawai’i Outstanding Teen and a student at the school, is in the cast. Lena was the first hearing-impaired contestant in the Hawaii pageant’s history.

Marian Jay Morrison, the show’s artistic director, says, "The show will leave guests exhilarated, inspired and enlightened." Marian is a former Hawaii choreographer who is back home after 15 years with Disney Entertainment. She is the mother of a hearing-impaired son. Tickets are $25, $35 and $55. Call the Hawaii Theatre box office at 528-0506 for more information …

—— Ben Wood, who sold the Star-Bulletin on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things Fridays. E-mail him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.