Make a Lei to Honor Veterans on Memorial Day

AARP Hawaii is encouraging members to participate in island traditions to honor our veterans.

On Oahu, AARP volunteers will be helping with Girl Scout’s “Lei of Aloha” project to make 10,000 lei to decorate the graves at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe and on Maui, members are encouraged to donate flowers or help make lei for the county’s annual “Blossoms for the Brave” lei-making effort on May 26.

The Girl Scouts will be collecting flower donations and making lei from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 27 at the Windward Mall Center Stage. AARP Hawaii volunteers will be helping with the effort and everyone is encouraged to donate flowers, help make lei or just come by and show support.

Donated lei should be 24 inches in length. Volunteer lei-makers should bring their own needles.

The Girl Scouts will place the lei on the graves at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe on Sunday May 28 in time for Memorial Day ceremonies on Monday, May 29.

AARP volunteers also made yarn lei ahead of the May 27 Girl Scouts flower collection and lei making event. Volunteers knitted dozens of yarn lei on April 20 at Harris United Methodist Church.

On Maui, flower and ti leaf donations can be dropped at the Maui County Building on Friday, May 26 from 9 a.m. - noon and volunteers will be making lei at the County Building.

About 2,700 lei will be placed on graves at the Maui Veterans Cemetery in Makawao in time for Memorial Day. The Blossoms for the Brave event is sponsored by Kaunoa Senior Services and the county Department of Housing and Human Concerns.