A lot of people came because it was lunchtime. While many people gathered at the food court area of Kukui Grove for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. observance, many more came because they planned lunch at one of the
A lot of people came because it was lunchtime.
While many people gathered at the food court area of Kukui Grove for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. observance, many more came because they planned lunch at one of the mall’s restaurants.
“I was on the air all morning asking people to just ‘show face,’” Ron Wiley, on-air personality for KQNG Radio and host for the event, said. “And a lot of people did just that.”
Posters lined the food court area, the mixture an equal mix of inspirational messages divided by informational posters of King.
Hosted by the Interfaith Roundtable of Kaua‘i, the program lineup included presentations by church members of several different church groups with the singular “Peace” message based on this year’s theme — “Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On, Not A Day Off.”
A public health nurse who had the day off from work brought her parents in from Hanapepe.
“We have the day off so it’s good to celebrate why we have a holiday,” she said while waiting on her parents to load up on lunch from Sone’s Delicatessen.
Among the activities available for youngsters and students, the Aloha Peace Project had rubbings of “Peace” in numerous international languages, and a quilt square they could design and take. Additionally, Annaleah Atkinson and Rana Jackson offered mandala drawings that people could color and take with them.
“Rana found out that it really helps with stress,” Atkinson said. “She wanted to have it available for people to enjoy during the MLK observances.”
Students who were part of the entertainment checked out the drawings between their presentations.
“I asked people to come and they did,” Wiley said. “And now that they’re here, I’m asking them to visit and be a part of the celebration.”
Jonell Kaohelauli‘i, marketing manager for CBRE, said the group organizing the event spent a lot of time planning and coordinating the different aspects of the program. Kaohelauli‘i was wrapping up the end of the mall’s weekend clearance and sidewalk sales.
“We were pretty busy,” she said. “A lot of people were cashing in on the gift certificates they got for the holidays, waiting until these sales so they could get the best values.”
