15-04-2025
Two Punahou teens turn snack mix into a mission to help others
HONOLULU (KHON2) — What started as a simple snack between two best friends has become a full-fledged mission to give back, one bag at a time.
Max Fukushima and Grayson Pien, both 15-year-old student-athletes at Punahou School, are the founders of After School Snacks Hawaii, a homemade treat business with heart.
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Their signature snack is a twist on a classic recipe passed down from Fukushima's grandmother.
'Our chess mix consists of a variety of chips such as pretzels and Cheetos, and then we add a sweet and savory secret sauce to it,' Pien said.
But their mission was born from something far more personal than a craving for crunch.
During the pandemic, a close family member of Fukushima's lost his home. That experience changed everything for the duo.'It didn't really hit me until Max's family member went unsheltered,' Pien shared. 'But growing up, I used to think like, how would these people live, or what were their lifestyles like? But then, once Max's family member got unsheltered. It was really hard to understand the pain that they were going through, but I just needed someone closer to me to experience that and to describe it to me and to put me in their shoes.'
'It was very eye opening for me and Grayson,' Fukushima added. 'So we decided to take action.'
That action turned into After School Snacks Hawaii — a small business with a big purpose.
'We knew we wanted to do something incorporating teenagers and young adults,' Fukushima said. 'We also wanted to incorporate sports as we were both athletes.'
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All of their proceeds go directly toward helping others, from supporting youth organizations like Ryse Hawaii to covering graduation fees for Roosevelt High School seniors.
Balancing their passion project with academics and athletics hasn't been easy.
'The biggest challenge was being able to find time, as we're both very busy, so we try to meet as much as we can,' Fukushima said.
'As a student athlete with this, it's not easy,' Pien admitted. 'You know, like some students can barely handle the student athlete part, but we just find time in our schedules, and sometimes that means staying up late to do homework, but you gotta do what you gotta do.'
Their story proves that no matter your age or schedule, there's always time to make a difference.
To support their efforts, follow @after_school_snacks_hi on Instagram.
But act fast. Their flash sales are known to sell out quick.
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