The donations have come in large and small, from $20 to $70,000, from legendary philanthropists to 10-year-old kids.

But they've come in steady waves, like a tsunami of aloha starting with the July 28 announcement of the Hawai'i High School Athletic Association's call for help in raising funds for public school athletic programs.

As of yesterday, the total amount raised for the HHSAA "SOS" (Save Our Sports) project is more than $545,265. That includes Monday's gifts of $70,000 from Carole Kai Charities and $25,000 from DataHouse, along with more than $20,000 from more than 100 individual donors.

An initial list of donors and donation amounts is on page C7; The Advertiser will publish updated lists every week, similar to The Advertiser Christmas Fund project.

HHSAA executive director Keith Amemiya said the initial list only includes donations that have come through his office and not the ones registered at First Hawaiian Bank, whose branches are serving as collection points (checks only) through Sept. 30.

"So the total is actually more (than $545,265)," Amemiya said.

Amemiya said he also has met with several local businesses who are working on plans to participate through their own promotions.

All money collected through the HHSAA SOS fundraising drive will go toward public schools hit by budget cuts that reduced their total state allocations by more than 35 percent.

The initial donation list includes the July 28 kickoff total of $430,000 from the Clarence T.C. Ching Foundation ($200,000), First Hawaiian Bank ($100,000), Bank of Hawaii ($50,000), the GIFT Foundation ($50,000) and Amemiya and his wife, Bonny ($30,000).

The updated list includes anonymous gifts of $2,000 and $500, plus five other anonymous donations of $100 each. It also includes a gift of $250 in honor of legendary Kalaheo basketball coach Pete Smith, who died in 2006 at age 52, and gifts of $50 each from 10-year-old Christopher Amemiya and his youth baseball buddies.

"I didn't even ask him," said Keith Amemiya, Christopher's dad. "He came up to me and said, 'How can I give?' "

To contribute, make checks payable to "HHSAA SOS Account" and send it to HHSAA, P.O. Box 62029, Honolulu, HI 96839, or visit any branch of First Hawaiian Bank (checks only) through Sept. 30.

For more information, call 587-4495.