They still talk about the tuna can.

A year after Kamaile Elementary School was depicted by The Advertiser as one focal point of the homeless crisis on the Wai'anae Coast, people continue to donate money and supplies to help with the school's large population of homeless students.

Many donors say they were moved to act after reading about a homeless Kamaile first-grader who, as a reward for good behavior, chose a can of tuna over toys from the school store because his family was hungry, said Glen Kila, Kamaile's principal.

Donations have come from across the state, the Mainland, Japan and Canada. "They were Google-ing us from all over the place," Kila said.

A school in Japan sent $5,000 worth of goods. A Connecticut church mailed a check for $141.92. A Canadian school adopted Kamaile for a project and is making book bags to send.

Kila said more than $150,000 in donations — from cash to computers, services to supplies, including cases of canned tuna — have poured in so far.

Just last month, Kamaile received $1,000 from a man who also donated money after The Advertiser's homeless series was published in October 2006. It also received $750 from the Mililani Wal-Mart, and a store employee became teary-eyed as she recalled the anecdote of the 6-year-old boy choosing tuna over toys, Kila said.

"That (story) stuck with everybody," said Wai'anae resident Tanya Kaawa, an assistant manager at the store.

The largest donation — more than $60,000 in computers and equipment to refurbish the school's computer lab — came from golfer Michelle Wie.

Kila said he has been amazed by the magnitude of the response and that people still donate a year later. "The spread of aloha continues," Kila said.

Kamaile has been one of the Wai'anae Coast schools most affected by the homeless crisis. He estimated that 30 percent of its 680 students are homeless, mostly of the "hidden" kind — living with others because their families can't afford their own place.

In an area where the schools already face challenges because of poverty, the homeless crisis has added to the pressures. But at Kamaile, signs of hope are emerging, partly due to the increased attention the school has received because of the homeless problem.

Parents are more involved, people from outside the community are helping and the students seem to be more focused on their work, Kamaile educators said. "There's been a whole change in culture," Kila said. "Before, we were struggling by ourselves. Today, we have the support of our families and the community."

That support came with a bit of Broadway flair last month.

A Honolulu man, who has supported the school's reading program for several years, donated about 170 tickets to "The Lion King." The value of the tickets: more than $6,000.

Reach Rob Perez at rperez@honoluluadvertiser.com.