GO TO: Video report by KHON2 Sports Team!

Leaders within the community are rallying to support high school athletics, in the face of a 36 percent budget cut for public school athletic programs.

1.2 million dollars. That’s the total amount of budget cuts facing Hawaii’s public school athletic programs for the upcoming year.

That’s also the amount the Hawaii High School Athletic Association is hoping to offset, through fundraising.

And the HHSAA has taken significant steps towards doing so, according to an announcement Tuesday by HHSAA Executive Director Keith Amemiya.

Amemiya says four large donations were made by private companies to assist with the financial shortcomings, totaling $400 thousand.

The Clarence T.C. Ching foundation donated $200 thousand, First Hawaiian Bank, a long time supporter of Hawaii athletics, put up 100 grand, while Bank of Hawaii and the Gift Foundation each added $50 thousand.

These funds will help in the effort to avoid the possible elimination of particular sports.

Amemiya admits there is still much work to be done.

Normally, the bottom line is about money.

In this case, though, the ultimate bottom line is Hawaii’s youth. Four local institutions stepped up and made a difference yesterday. The Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation ($200,000), First Hawaiian Bank ($100,000), Bank of Hawaii ($50,000) and The GIFT Foundation ($50,000) became lead donors to public school athletic departments, giving a total of $400,000 to help salvage budgets statewide.

Jack Tsui, chairman of the Ching Foundation, hopes this is just the start.

“We hope this serves as a catalyst. It’s such an opportunity in tough times for real leaders to step up to the fire,” he said. “(Hawaii High School Athletic Association executive director) Keith (Amemiya) stepped up and I challenged him to come up with more donors. These young men and women are the future of our country.”

It was a welcome shift to good news for athletic directors, who learned recently that their budgets would be slashed by 50 percent for the coming school year. Combined with cuts announced in December, athletic budgets statewide faced a $1.2 million deficit.