PARKLAND, FLORIDA — Nearly 5,000 miles from Hawaii, the spirit of aloha helped comfort those in Parkland, Florida who experienced a mass shooting that left 17 dead.
Three miles of ti leaf lei, woven by volunteers from across the Hawaiian Islands and weighing close to a ton, was presented to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and the Southern Florida community on Sunday and Monday to show support for students, teachers and families.
“I think we made an impact,” said Lei of Aloha co-founder, Ron Panzo of Maui. “The story of us coming from 4,800 miles away to people that we don’t even know and the magnitude of this lei being three miles long with close to 2,000 volunteers in three days is just amazing.”
“Aloha is powerful,” Panzo added. “It’s contagious, it can spread like wildfire.”
About 25 schools and hundreds of volunteers from Hawaii contributed to the act of aloha by donating ti leaves and weaving them into lei. Twelve representatives journeyed to Florida, including two from Kauai, to present the token of support.
Island School senior, Aliana Ho, and her teacher, Philip Steinbacher, first flew to Honolulu to meet Lei of Aloha organizers at the Hawaii State Capital’s Rotunda for a 9:30 a.m. lei blessing on Saturday.
“I’ve been changed for good,” Steinbacher said. “These people, this project, are the real deal. I’m truly humbled by being a part of something so meaningful and so needed in today’s world.”
Ho’s dad, Kelvin, asked Hawaiian Airlines for kokua in allowing the 1,220 feet of woven lei lau ki to be shipped to Oahu without charge. The nearly 70-pound cooler was allowed aboard for free.
“In this journey, I’ve learned the importance of appreciating what we have, as well as just how impactful a small gesture can be,” Ho said. “I’ve been able to witness the impact of all the hard work done by all he volunteers from across the state and watch this project and group actively heal these people.”
On Sunday, half of the Lei of Aloha was presented to Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in a ceremony complete with Native Hawaiian protocol, chants and song. The lei was carefully draped over a fence alongside other memorials with the victims’ names and offerings, such as flowers, cards, and stuffed animals.
“The mission of sending aloha to Parkland, Florida was well received,” Panzo said. “It touched a lot of them you could tell.”
On Monday, the other half of the Lei of Aloha was presented to Parkland Mayor Christine Hunschefsky and other city officials, including the fire chief, on behalf of students and teachers of the school. The ceremony took place at Pine Trail Park amphitheater, a temporary memorial site near the school with 17 angels on stage representing the people who lost their lives. Individual crosses honoring those who died were erected on the field, and each was adorned with a portion of the lei.
Panzo and others were impressed by the action these young students were taking to bring about change by addressing firearms laws and school safety issues.
“We need to support this movement that’s going on,” Panzo said. “Our hope is that we can get to that place where we’re all living a little more together, being a little more patient with each other, reaching out to others in time of need and living in aloha.”
Nearly a hundred attended the ceremonies, including some Hawaiian transplants in Florida who drove from hours away to be part of the blessing. The Hawaii students traveled from Kauai, Oahu and Maui to perform hula, songs and share the message of support.
“As we’re giving and sharing our love and aloha, there’s actually healing that’s going back here at home and closure for us that helps us deal with these situations,” he added.
