Magic of graduation extended

LIHU‘E – The giving of lei is indiscriminate, and about 50 Kaua‘i High School students accompanied by their chaperones spread out to do just that as the Lei of Aloha program launched, Saturday.

Nolan Ahn, one of the leaders of the program, was definitely nervous as he surveyed the field of Kaua‘i High School graduates lining up for their processional, Friday afternoon.

“Our goal is 1,500 lei collected,” Ahn said. “But, realistically, I would be happy if we get a thousand.”

That was before the collection following the commencement exercises.

As students boarded buses-bound for Project Graduation, the amount of lei donated by the graduates neared the 2,000-mark sending Ahn into raptures of delight with the effort.

A special collection tent was set up off to the side of the commencement exercises manned by adult and student volunteers, a setup Ahn labeled “The processing plant.”

Saturday morning, training sessions utilizing a special film created by Wala‘au Productions for this program started with the first batch of about two dozen students.

Following this short briefing by Ahn and Kumu Hula Wallis Punua on how the program came about as well as the proper protocol for presenting lei, the students boarded shuttles provided by the Kaua‘i Marriott Beach Club and Resort and Hilo Hattie’s.

Their destinations were the Regency at Puakea, Wilcox Hospital Long Term Care Unit, the Kaua‘i Marriott, and Hilo Hattie’s.

Beth Tokioka, the county’s Office of Economic Development director, accompanied one of the student-based presenters and was impressed with the reception they received when they walked into the Regency at Puakea with their lei.

“It was so heart-warming to see the residents’ smiles,” Tokioka said. Ahn added that one resident recognized one of the students from his part as Elvis in the “Bye, Bye, Birdie” production and in addition to the lei, wanted a photograph with him as well as a song which he obliged.

The presentations were nondiscriminate and everyone got lei. At Hilo Hattie’s where staff normally are without lei were presented lei along with patrons entering the popular store.

Shuttle drivers who normally present lei when picking up their passengers, on Saturday, had a floral lei presented them as well.

“This is nice,” a security guard at the Lihu‘e Airport said. “I can’t wear the lei (because of uniform regulations), but I have one, and it’s going to go to my mother.”

Thrilled with his gift, he helped the student presenters by pointing out groups of people to present lei to.

Marilyn Faima, a lei greeter at the airport, was also thrilled to receive a fragrant puakenikeni lei, her personal favorite.

“This is so special. I’m going to wear it until it dries,” she said.

An arriving passenger said she was a mother of a graduate herself, and was appreciative to get a lei – especially because it was from the Class of 2005.

At the Tip Top Cafe which is patronized by local breakfast diners, people were surprised to be presented lei, many at a loss of words at the presentation, but all wore their lei with an accompanying big smile of appreciation.

In the first effort of its kind on Kaua‘i, students, parents, and community members created “Lei of Aloha” to stretch the magic of graduation night lei-giving for one more day, and in the process, multiplying the spread of aloha.

Ahn said, “After seeing three of my children graduate, and dozens and dozens of lei go unused for days after the ‘big’ night, I wanted to do something to make use of that tremendous outpouring of aloha.”

Based on this, Ahn came up with the original idea and recruited friends, colleagues, and the Kaua‘i High School PAIRS-PTSA. “We basically organized all of this in less than two months. It feels like a miracle.”

According to Ahn, the project’s goal was two-fold: 1) to spread aloha to kupuna, residents, and visitors on the day after graduation, and 2) to teach students about the significance of giving and receiving lei.

Out at the Waimea High School graduation, registrar Debby Chaffin noted that Waimea has had a similar program for years when, the weekend following graduation, lei are brought to the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital, churches, and laid upon graves at the Hawaiian cemetery in a gesture of sharing and celebration.

At Kaua‘i High School, seniors were asked to consider donating a portion of the lei they receive to the project, one of the venues being a special video created by the County’s Office of Economic Development in conjunction with Dickie Chang of Wala‘au Productions.

Following the graduation, as students headed towards their Project Graduation buses, a Lei of Aloha banner, designed by Jackie Kanna and donated by Laraine Moriguchi of SignArt, served to draw the contributions.

Congratulatory cards were replaced with a special card produced by the Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau that explained the meaning of “aloha,” stating that the lei is a gift from the Kaua‘i High School graduating class of 2005.

The processed lei were stored in refrigerated containers provided by the Kaua‘i High School Class of 1969 and 1983 courtesy of Leo and Lenny Rapozo.

Ahn noted that in addition to his core of organizers, he got support from numerous people along the way including Ed Nakaya (President of PAIRS-PTSA), Darrelyn Lemke, Chanelle Quinones, Charlene Navarro, Claire Hirota, Joy Miura Koerte, Shawn Doo, the Zonta Club, Sue Kanoho, Laurie Chow, Rod Lau, Tim Skinner, Robbie Kaholokula, and Tokioka. The Lei of Aloha committee will compile a video that documents the experience along with a Web site and “toolkit” designed to help other schools take on their own Lei of Aloha project.

“Our goal is for all high schools on Kaua‘i to participate next year,” said Ahn. Beyond that, “hopefully, it will spread throughout the state.”

But, the dream is even bigger.

“I’m thinking of a ‘million lei of aloha’ – now that’s something to shoot for,” Ahn said with a smile.

• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) and dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.