Jarrett & Marc Cutter

Photo from Jarrett Cutter

Cooler classrooms welcomed back Waipahu-area students after spring break March 16-20.

Twelve classrooms in four community elementary schools (August Ahrens, Honowai, Kaleiopuu and Waipahu) benefited from the effort led by Jarrett and Marc Cutter of Cutter Automotive Galleries.

Principals at each school articulated which classrooms most needed air conditioning units.

For the brothers, the fact that all classrooms don’t have air conditioning units is ludicrous.

“It felt really good,” says Jarrett. “The students were happy, the teachers were ecstatic, and that was kind of our goal.”

While watching Hawaii News Now one night, the siblings were inspired by Rick Blangiardi’s commentary on the topic and knew they could help.

The Cutters operate a number of dealerships in the Waipahu area, and they wanted to give back to the community that means so much to them and has done business with them for so many years.

This is why they went above and beyond a monetary donation. Their goal was to create something for the community that would last for many years.

“That was our goal, whether it was air conditioning units or a playground, we wanted to see something that would affect the community for years and years to come,” Jarrett says. The donation of classroom air conditioning units means that numerous students over the years will reap the benefits of the Cutters’ generosity.

The Cutters are more than happy with all the help they received. Drew Santos of Fujitsu Hawaii donated air conditioning units and exhaust fans for the effort. Sherman Louis of Air Masters Inc. handled installation, and Keith Morrill of KM Electric did all the electrical hookups.

“Everything went really smoothly,” he adds, noting that assistance from Waipahu-area complex leaders and principals also helped. “It was a coordinated effort from multiple sources that helped this all come together.”

When they visited a couple of classrooms following the installation, feedback was nothing but positive.The brothers were able to meet with students and teachers, who say that the project made a big difference in the students’ learning environments.