KAILUA-KONA — Hundreds of gravestones and cremation niches at West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery were adorned with a Ti-Leaf lei for a Memorial Day ceremony to be held May 29. ADVERTISING KAILUA-KONA — Hundreds of gravestones and cremation niches at West
KAILUA-KONA — Hundreds of gravestones and cremation niches at West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery were adorned with a Ti-Leaf lei for a Memorial Day ceremony to be held May 29.
Two Kealakehe High School students made Ti-Leaf lei for each gravestone and cremation niche, with the help of friends, family and Konawaena Elementary School as part of their second annual Memorial Day service project.
“It’s our way of showing aloha to the people who defended us,” said Roxie Umu, 15, upcoming junior at Kealakehe High School.
Roxie said the lei making is part of the Kamehameha Schools scholarship program.
Roxie and fellow classmate Kawai Alices volunteer to make the lei and the hours go toward the program.
Roxie said it takes four to five months to prepare and get all the lei needed for the gravestones and niches.
“It’s a lot of work, but it connects us and it’s a way to spread our aloha through the community,” she said.
The teens make 70- to 80-inch Ti-Leaf lei, which are wrapped around each gravestone and niche.
There are 350 gravestones and 210 niches at the cemetery.
Kawai’s mom, Rachael Alices, is part of the Hawaii Government Employees Association. She said her sister was approached by a veteran last year to see if their organization would be interested in making lei for the cemetery for Memorial Day.
Alices said they weren’t able to take on the project so they offered it to the kids.
“It’s awesome how they want to honor the veterans,” Alices said.
While last year it was primarily a family event, Alices said, this year they reached out to a couple of schools to see if they were interested in participating.
Konawaena Elementary School officials responded. Their students made 316 Ti-Leaf lei for the Memorial Day ceremony, which was more than they anticipated, Alices said.
Minoru Hanato, Vietnam War veteran and member of the West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery Development and Expansion Association, said he’s happy the children do this service and has a lot of respect for them.
“Veterans are who keep our country intact,” Hanato said. “Children have to learn that — have to respect that.”
The Memorial Day service will take place at West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery, located at 72-3245 Queen Kaahumanu Highway. It starts at 11 a.m.
