More than 1,500 mini-bouquets of fresh flowers were put together by over 100 volunteers on Lānaʻi last weekend.
On Monday, those flowers were placed on every marked grave on the island — thanks to the volunteers and the staff of the Lānaʻi Culture and Heritage Center.
“The Memorial Day program is a way for us to really remember Lānaʻi’s history, not only in the events that happened, but the people that have also come before us,” said Jana Kaopuiki, board president of the center.
“Community is so much a way of life on Lānaʻi that we remember generations of people long, long before us, and that's really like the cornerstone or the foundation of how we live today. So it's just a very small way for us to be able to honor those people that have helped us have as rich of a history as we do on island.”
Kaopuiki said many hands came together to make the effort possible. Along with creating and laying the bouquets of bright flowers and fresh foliage, volunteers also cleaned the cemeteries.
“For us, we're hoping that it's just the beginning of how people find connection to the stories of people from generations before,” she said. “These are not just sites. They're really markers of personal histories and personal stories that have really built Lānaʻi's story.”
