Back-to-School Bash returns to Kaimuki High after hiatus

Thirty-eight years after the last Kaimuki High School Carnival in 1978, the school is reinstating a tradition with a Back-to-School Bash from Friday to Sunday.

The free-admission carnival will take place on the school campus and feature E.K. Fernandez rides, games, food vendors and musical entertainment by local bands, including the Jimmy Weeks Project and Natural Vibrations. A fee will be charged for rides, games and food.

Kaimuki’s head football coach and chairman of the event, David Tautofi, said that for years he has advocated for a return of the event to bring the Kaimuki community together and bring attention and pride back to the high school.

“The reality is the school doesn’t have the best reputation; it’s not what it used to be,” Tautofi reminisced. “It’s sad to see a school with a lot of pride and tradition become sort of a forgotten school.”

Tautofi, a Kaimuki alumnus, returned to the high school last year after living in Las Vegas for almost 12 years. During his first year as head football coach, he and other members of the athletic department started the football fundraiser, Ono Fridays, a community event featuring food vendors and entertainment on campus every third Friday.

“This is the start of something that will hopefully get people in the community more involved to benefit these kids,” Tautofi said. “It could start to bring back that community that was there when I grew up.”