Last weekend, the gentle beauty of Lānaʻi was amplified by over 1,500 handcrafted mini-bouquets of bright flowers and fresh greenery. More than 100 dedicated volunteers came together to arrange the vibrant floral tributes.
On Memorial Day, each bouquet was lovingly placed on every marked grave across the island, transforming local cemeteries into gardens of remembrance. This heartfelt effort was led by the Lānaʻi Culture and Heritage Center, whose volunteers also tended the burial grounds with care.
“The Memorial Day program is our way to remember not just history, but the people who made it,” said Jana Kaopuiki, board president of the center. “Flowers give us a living, colorful connection to the generations who came before.”
On Lānaʻi, community life is deeply rooted in honoring the past. Through blossoms and foliage, volunteers expressed gratitude and reverence for ancestors whose stories shaped the island’s identity.
“We hope this becomes a way for people to connect through nature to the stories that shaped Lānaʻi,” said Kaopuiki. “Each grave is more than a site — it’s a piece of someone’s life story, nurtured in bloom.”
