Should motorists driving along Kalanianaole this Saturday encounter a pod of runners with white whales on their T-shirts, or a huffing-puffing Hester Prynn adorned with a Kalani-scarlet letter, or perhaps a (literally) dashing Captain Ahab, they’ll have gone-but-hardly-forgotten Kalani High School teacher and coach Michael Doran to thank.
Doran, who taught English and coached cross-country and other sports at the school for more than 40 years, died May 25, just days after watching his last group of senior charges receive their diplomas.
On Saturday, colleagues, students, friends and family will pay tribute to the lifelong educator notorious for his fondness for Frost, Hawthorne and Melville with a 5K run/walk in which participants are encouraged to dress in the style of their favorite character from American literature.
Proceeds from the race will go to the Michael Doran Scholarship Foundation, which will provide annual scholarships to outstanding Kalani students and teachers.
Fellow teacher Diana Woitovitch, who is serving as race director, said the charismatic Doran set a standard against which she and generations of other Kalani teachers measured themselves.
"He was a total educator in every aspect," Woitovitch said. "This (race) is a way for students, faculty, alumni and the community at large to say ‘thank you.’"
In more than four decades teaching Advanced Placement English and other courses, Doran shared his love of the humanities with thousands of impressionable students.
Alex Kendrick, a 1987 graduate, said Doran was directly responsible for his decision to study English in college and his eventual career as a high school English teacher.
Five years ago Doran took a leave of absence to attend to his health, tapping Kendrick (who had spent 10 years teaching at Moanalua Middle School) to be his replacement.
Doran returned to work after a few months; he and Kendrick, teacher and former student, continued to work together until Doran’s death this year.
"He had a passion for his subject and his kids," Kendrick said. "He knew his subject, and that allowed him to get to know the kids."
Alexis Doran-Jinbo said her father experienced the normal ups and downs of a long career in education but was unwavering in his enthusiasm for helping students make it to college and succeed in life.
"He was always positive about the kids," Doran-Jinbo said. "He sometimes had issues with the school — nothing is perfect — but he was always committed to helping students."
Had he lived a few months longer, the old teacher would have realized a long-held dream.
In July, Doran-Jinbo signed on to teach natural resources at Kalani.
"We’d talked about it a lot," Jinbo-Doran said. "He was always really supportive of whatever ideas or opportunities I came across. I think he would have been happy. Kalani was familiar to me because of my father, so getting hired felt a lot like coming home."
Saturday’s race, which begins at 7 a.m., will have a distinctly Doran feel. Art teacher Gerald Toyama designed Moby Dick-themed T-shirts and awards as a nod to the classic novel that Doran taught each year. The race itself will cut across the Kalani campus so can runners can pass Room C-20 — Doran’s old classroom.
Race organizers have extended registration through race day. Entry is $25. For more information or to download a registration form, visit the official race site at goo.gl/c2kfd.
