By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Ken Komoto is surrounded by balloons at Flyin'
Hawaiian Balloons on King St. The balloon
business thrives during graduation season.

---

Grad day is
payday for
many stores

All kinds of businesses are bracing
for 42 high school commencements
on Oahu this weekend

By Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin

Graduations mean business.

Hawaii businesses -- from caterers to lei stands to photo developers -- are bracing for 42 high school graduations this weekend.

Longs Drug Stores at Pali Highway posted a photo department warning: "Customers should expect delays in service time due to the heavy volume after commencement exercises ... All guarantees will be suspended."

"This weekend is the biggest for graduations," said Sherilyn Maxilom, who helps run her mother's Maunakea Street lei stand. This is the first graduation season for Shirley's Leis and Flowers, so Maxilom said they aren't sure what to expect.

But Mimi Say does know. She worked for five years at her aunt's stand before opening M.P. Lei Shop a year ago at Maunakea and Pauahi streets. The most popular graduation lei is the double carnation, Say said.

Marti McGurk, mother of a senior graduating from Roosevelt High, wanted to order about 10 haku and pikake leis at Lina's Leis and Flowers. But they weren't taking orders because they said they will have plenty of leis.

Peak season for pikake

In Waianae, Maima Araki and husband Kazu, who grow pikake on a half-acre farm, know how important leis can be.

The Arakis' business hinges on graduation season. "After graduation, everything comes to a standstill," Araki said.

This year is a little better than last for them, but they continue to battle insects that damage their crop, resulting in a shortage.

Lynette Chang doesn't worry about flowers. Her concern is finishing the 465 satin leis she hand-sews at her Waianae home in time for the Kamehameha Schools graduation. It is a tradition for each senior to wear a royal blue lei at the ceremony.

Chang was roped into the business after her daughter's 1996 senior class decided to have each student's parents make the leis. "They all turned out differently," she said.

She got the job and has made leis since. But she doesn't do it for the money.

When Chang sees all the graduates at the Blaisdell Center arena wearing the leis she made, "I get chicken skin," she said.

Kehaulani Richardson got to wear one of those leis May 31 during the Kamehameha graduation. She said the silk lei is better than a flower lei because "we get to keep it. ... It's a nice memento, something you take pride in."

But not everyone appreciates leis.

Balloons are flying high

Ken Komoto of Flyin' Hawaiian Balloons said, "When you see the big balloons, they seem to outshine the leis."

The 5-foot latex balloons along with large Mylar animal and cartoon characters or any of a hundred custom shapes are often used as markers at graduation ceremonies.

Balloon animal and cartoon sculptures and archways are used to add a festive touch to graduation parties.

The 16-year-old company's customers are no longer satisfied with a bunch of latex balloons. So the company continues to come up with new ideas such as their 6- and 12-stem cellophane-wrapped flower bouquets.

The Flyin' Hawaiian folks will probably inflate tens of thousands of graduation balloons this season, Komoto estimated.

Unlike Flyin' Hawaiian, Fukuya, a small family-run catering business in Moiliili, is not getting the graduation business it used to. "To be real honest, it has declined," said Arrison Iwahiro, whose great-grandmother founded the business. "In the mid-80s and early 90s, we would be booked every Saturday in the last half of June and first half of July two to three weeks ahead."

Iwahiro says he believes it's due to a combination of factors, including the economy. Parties are smaller. He doesn't see the 300-person get-togethers as often. "Back then, we would deliver mostly to houses," Iwahiro said. "Now a lot of the younger generation live in condos."

Iwahiro is trying to put together a package -- one set menu -- that might lower costs.

But graduation still means working 17-hour days for Iwahiro. He and his crew, including mother and wife, begin preparing sushi, fried chicken, beef teriyaki, fried noodles and potato-macaroni salad at 2 a.m. The day ends when Iwahiro and friends finish at 7 p.m.