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Big Maui lei is
one for the books

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By Gary T. Kubota
Maui correspondent

WAILUKU -- There were more flowers on it than you could shake off a plumeria tree.

Thousands of flowers and decorative leaves were sewn together to make a 565-foot-long Hawaiian lei, in an effort to establish a new category in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The lei was made with support from the Central Maui Destination Association, a group of businesses and nonprofit groups promoting central Maui as a visitor destination.

Association spokeswoman Linda Mather said the lei took about five hours to assemble in a ball field near the War Memorial swimming pool in Wailuku.

Scores of people helped in the event Wednesday.

Mather said a large portion of the lei was made from plumeria flowers but some sections included eucalyptus leaves and morning glory foliage. One family strung 86 feet with plumeria flowers.

Guinness spokesman Neil Hayes said his company has no record established for the world's longest lei.

Hayes said Guinness officials are interested in the lei and would be willing to consider it in a new category as a world record.

"It's sounds large," said Hayes, interviewed by telephone from his London office.

Hayes said those wishing to submit the lei as a world record should send a photograph and send it along with signatures of witnesses.

Guinness has an application form that is used in submitting entries.