You can't spend much time on the 'Iolani School campus without bumping into reminders of the huge impact of the late Kenneth Augustine Bray, an Episcopal priest and revered coach.

There is an athletic complex that carries his name and a mural that celebrates the legacy of his seminal 20-year (1932-52) tenure. There are pictures and artifacts.

And, if you seek them out, a swiftly declining number of alums with their first-hand stories and heartfelt testimonials to bring the traditions and black-and-white photographs of the period alive.

For years it has been the often talked about — and, unfortunately, just as often, delayed — goal of 'Iolani alums to gather, package and preserve these remembrances for future generations. The realization that many of the most valuable resources for such a project, those who played for Father Bray, were passing away or having their memories robbed by age stirred the 'Iolani Raiders Booster Club to action.

In that, its "oneTEAM" documentary, an exhaustive, on-going independent effort to preserve history in high definition, is not only a laudable project for Raider faithful but, you hope, a wake-up call and inspiration for other schools and groups.

"We thought it important to capture the words of these living legends, the oldtimers who played under Father Bray, and felt time was of the essence," said Harris Nakamoto, a Raider lineman in the 1970s who played for Eddie Hamada, one of Bray's disciples. "When they talk about Father Bray and their shared experiences, they are priceless. You can talk story among yourselves but to capture and preserve it on film is something else."

Just as 'Iolani has Bray's unifying "One Team" concept and cherishes the "Seabiscuit" horseshoe, so, too, do other schools have their inspiring legacies, glory years and celebrated teams.

Indeed, many of Hawai'i's greatest athletic thrills and richest traditions are products of the high school ranks. They recall a long-ago time when high schools were the biggest game in town, crowning their own stars and cementing their unique traditions.

And while many endure in tales passed by word of mouth from one generation to another, too many are fading. Many already risk being lost or forgotten, left to faltering memories, yellowed newsprint or packed away in archives and microfilm.

This is where the effort of 'Iolani's boosters is both notable and overdue. When completed and set to DVD, their project will introduce current students and future ones to the school's history in a vivid way that words alone cannot. Seeing will be an aid to comprehending and believing for generations that best grasp digital offerings.

Perhaps not everybody can be as ambitious in their pursuit as the 'Iolani boosters, who have enlisted the expertise of writer-producer Tom Coffman and writer Eric Nemoto. The Raider alums are raising $128,000 to fund a project already 18 months under way.

But the 'Iolani booster club's determined effort to tap and perpetuate its past is something worthy of replication, each in its own way, on other campuses.