Lei of Aloha for World Peace
Donation protected
Lei of Aloha for World Peace is raising funds to cover the costs associated with delivering the Lei of Aloha for Las Vegas to the 9th Island. Even with the generous support by Hawaiian Airlines and the California Hotel and Casino, there are costs involved that we need to cover. As volunteers, these expenses were shared up front with the hope of receiving contributions to reimburse some if not all of the money given by volunteers.
After thousands of people hours by hundreds of volunteers, Lei of Aloha for Las Vegas is done. A TWO mile long ti leaf lei of love to be delivered to the people of Las Vegas after the recent tragedy which killed 58 people and injured 500 in the city lovingly referred to as the Ninth Island.
The lei began on Maui with volunteers weaving an entire mile of ti leaf lei, Then, that lei journeyed to Honolulu where it was joined with lei weaved on Kauai, Kona and Oahu. Two miles were weaved statewide.
"Sometimes we forget that we are connected, that we always have someone to turn to when we feel alone. We used to always talk to our family or friends, or a trusted leader, coach, minister when we were hurt or confused and you didn't see these kinds of violent attacks as much. I think we need to remember to reach out to each other, whether we feel unconnected or if we see our loved ones toughing it out alone," said Ron Panzo, originator of the Lei of Aloha for World Peace.
Lei of Aloha started out in 2015 after terrorists bombed Paris and a small group of people including Panzo came together and decided they would weave a one mile long lei and deliver it to Paris to lay at the site of the explosion. "Tim Lara was the one who suggested ti leaf lei which was more traditional and Hawaiian," Panzo recalls. Lara and Panzo were part of the delegation that delivered the first Lei of Aloha to Paris.
Then in June of 2016, tragedy struck Orlando, Florida when a gunman killed 49 young people in Pulse Nightclub, the largest mass killing up to that date in the country's history. Immediately following the shooting, Ron Panzo met with Joe Tolbe about weaving a lei for Orlando. Literally hundreds of volunteers showed up, including Governor Ige who learned to weave ti leaves from a large tattooed biker. Tolbe and Panzo led a contingency of Hawaii Six-O who traveled to Orlando and delivered the lei to Pulse, to the hospital where many were treated and to the large memorial site. Met by dozens of Hawaiians who live in Florida they delivered powerful chants of grief and sadness and love. "I've been singing 'Hawaii Aloha' all my life, but I was never so proud as I was when we sang that song in Orlando," said Stacey Moniz, one of the Hawaii 6-O. "It was truly an honor to be able to attend. It meant a lot to the people of Orlando, too, not just the Hawaiians, but everyone we met was so awed by the love of the people of Maui."
The organizers of Lei of Aloha had also sent lei to Washington DC and also to Honolulu for the return of the voyaging canoe, Hokule`a when she returned from her three year worldwide voyage, Malama Honua. Lei of Aloha volunteers had just begun weaving a Lei of Aloha for Paddle For Life, a fundraising event for the Pacific Cancer Foundation, when news of the tragedy in Las Vegas broke.
The shooting in Las Vegas was an instant call to action for the Lei of Aloha team. "We knew immediately we needed to do a lei for Las Vegas. They're family!" said Panzo. "But with Stacey on Oahu we needed to expand our efforts so I called a few friends and the action on Oahu just grew." Organized by Moniz and Colleen Nomura, the owner of Jawaiian Irie Jerk restaurant in Waialae, volunteers began to show up. Like Crystale Cayaban and her family, who then inspired Iolani High School and other families to weave nearly 1/4 mile on their own.
Cyrila Pycha led the charge on the island of Kauai and has actually been part of the lei making from Kauai since the lei for Paris. She will be traveling to Las Vegas with the lei along with Ron Panzo and Colleen Nomura. Jeff Gourley led his community in Kona to weave lei at My Bar Kona every day. This lei is truly a statewide effort.
Hawaiian Airlines will be donating four of the airfares for travel from Honolulu to Las Vegas and the California Hotel and Casino will be housing the volunteers who will be delivering two miles of lei to various sites throughout Las Vegas, including the scene of the shooting. "We are so grateful to Hawaiian Airlines, especially Debbie Nakanelua-Richards who has worked so hard on this trip!" Panzo stated.
In addition to the support from Hawaiian Airlines, the Las Vegas Hawaii 6-0 will be staying at Hawaii's favorite, the California Hotel who generously stepped up to offer the Hawaii delegation hotel accommodations and storage for the lei while they are in Las Vegas.
The mission statement of the Lei of Aloha for World Peace
We are One
Weaving together ti leaves from Kauai to Hawaii Island
Kaupo to Keanae to Haiku
Weaving love and aloha to wrap around the people of the World, the Lei of Aloha brings us together to grieve, to heal, to connect and to lift our collective spririts.
When we lift one, we lift all.
The Lei of Aloha is about connection: we sit, side by side, weaving lei, weaving conversation, weaving friendship, weaving prayers.
Weaving leaves of every color: red, yellow, pink
light green, dark green
Weaving people: gay, straight, Hawaiian, Asian
Hispanic, Caucasian, people of all colors and faiths - young and young at heart
Once woven and joined together,
it is impossible to tell us apart
We are One
After thousands of people hours by hundreds of volunteers, Lei of Aloha for Las Vegas is done. A TWO mile long ti leaf lei of love to be delivered to the people of Las Vegas after the recent tragedy which killed 58 people and injured 500 in the city lovingly referred to as the Ninth Island.
The lei began on Maui with volunteers weaving an entire mile of ti leaf lei, Then, that lei journeyed to Honolulu where it was joined with lei weaved on Kauai, Kona and Oahu. Two miles were weaved statewide.
"Sometimes we forget that we are connected, that we always have someone to turn to when we feel alone. We used to always talk to our family or friends, or a trusted leader, coach, minister when we were hurt or confused and you didn't see these kinds of violent attacks as much. I think we need to remember to reach out to each other, whether we feel unconnected or if we see our loved ones toughing it out alone," said Ron Panzo, originator of the Lei of Aloha for World Peace.
Lei of Aloha started out in 2015 after terrorists bombed Paris and a small group of people including Panzo came together and decided they would weave a one mile long lei and deliver it to Paris to lay at the site of the explosion. "Tim Lara was the one who suggested ti leaf lei which was more traditional and Hawaiian," Panzo recalls. Lara and Panzo were part of the delegation that delivered the first Lei of Aloha to Paris.
Then in June of 2016, tragedy struck Orlando, Florida when a gunman killed 49 young people in Pulse Nightclub, the largest mass killing up to that date in the country's history. Immediately following the shooting, Ron Panzo met with Joe Tolbe about weaving a lei for Orlando. Literally hundreds of volunteers showed up, including Governor Ige who learned to weave ti leaves from a large tattooed biker. Tolbe and Panzo led a contingency of Hawaii Six-O who traveled to Orlando and delivered the lei to Pulse, to the hospital where many were treated and to the large memorial site. Met by dozens of Hawaiians who live in Florida they delivered powerful chants of grief and sadness and love. "I've been singing 'Hawaii Aloha' all my life, but I was never so proud as I was when we sang that song in Orlando," said Stacey Moniz, one of the Hawaii 6-O. "It was truly an honor to be able to attend. It meant a lot to the people of Orlando, too, not just the Hawaiians, but everyone we met was so awed by the love of the people of Maui."
The organizers of Lei of Aloha had also sent lei to Washington DC and also to Honolulu for the return of the voyaging canoe, Hokule`a when she returned from her three year worldwide voyage, Malama Honua. Lei of Aloha volunteers had just begun weaving a Lei of Aloha for Paddle For Life, a fundraising event for the Pacific Cancer Foundation, when news of the tragedy in Las Vegas broke.
The shooting in Las Vegas was an instant call to action for the Lei of Aloha team. "We knew immediately we needed to do a lei for Las Vegas. They're family!" said Panzo. "But with Stacey on Oahu we needed to expand our efforts so I called a few friends and the action on Oahu just grew." Organized by Moniz and Colleen Nomura, the owner of Jawaiian Irie Jerk restaurant in Waialae, volunteers began to show up. Like Crystale Cayaban and her family, who then inspired Iolani High School and other families to weave nearly 1/4 mile on their own.
Cyrila Pycha led the charge on the island of Kauai and has actually been part of the lei making from Kauai since the lei for Paris. She will be traveling to Las Vegas with the lei along with Ron Panzo and Colleen Nomura. Jeff Gourley led his community in Kona to weave lei at My Bar Kona every day. This lei is truly a statewide effort.
Hawaiian Airlines will be donating four of the airfares for travel from Honolulu to Las Vegas and the California Hotel and Casino will be housing the volunteers who will be delivering two miles of lei to various sites throughout Las Vegas, including the scene of the shooting. "We are so grateful to Hawaiian Airlines, especially Debbie Nakanelua-Richards who has worked so hard on this trip!" Panzo stated.
In addition to the support from Hawaiian Airlines, the Las Vegas Hawaii 6-0 will be staying at Hawaii's favorite, the California Hotel who generously stepped up to offer the Hawaii delegation hotel accommodations and storage for the lei while they are in Las Vegas.
The mission statement of the Lei of Aloha for World Peace
We are One
Weaving together ti leaves from Kauai to Hawaii Island
Kaupo to Keanae to Haiku
Weaving love and aloha to wrap around the people of the World, the Lei of Aloha brings us together to grieve, to heal, to connect and to lift our collective spririts.
When we lift one, we lift all.
The Lei of Aloha is about connection: we sit, side by side, weaving lei, weaving conversation, weaving friendship, weaving prayers.
Weaving leaves of every color: red, yellow, pink
light green, dark green
Weaving people: gay, straight, Hawaiian, Asian
Hispanic, Caucasian, people of all colors and faiths - young and young at heart
Once woven and joined together,
it is impossible to tell us apart
We are One
Organizer
Stacey Suemi Moniz
Organizer
Honolulu, HI
