Some Hawaii family members did not want them to participate in the 75th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, in light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York.
Isle marchers find
meaning in Macy’s paradeBy Gary Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.comBut the more than 430 people with the Pearl City High School marching band and entertainers with the Old Lahaina Luau would not let the fear of terrorism control their lives.
"My mom said she was scared, and she didn't want me to fly," said Kristin Nonaka, 15, a member of the Pearl City High School marching band. "At least we know we didn't let our fears rule us. We're supposed to be free."
Nicole Hiroshige, another band member, conceded being in New York was "kind of scary."
"But it's OK. We have to get on with our life. So that's why I decided to come," Hiroshige said.
Band member Kevin Simon, 17, said police and guards were opening bags at a number of stops. "There's a lot of security. They're really strict," he said.
The Old Lahaina Luau hula dancers will be on a float and the seventh unit in the parade.About 260 band members from Pearl City High School will be marching as the third marching band and 19th parade unit.
High school Principal Gerald Suyama said that although the band has participated in the parade on two other occasions, the trip to New York has special meaning this year because it honors those who died in the terrorist attacks.
"It's kind of our mission here," Suyama said.
Old Lahaina Luau President Michael Moore, whose group participated in the parade last year, said returning to New York this year was "totally different."
The group's dancers and Maui Mayor James "Kimo" Apana, who are promoting tourism in Hawaii, made stops at fire stations to deliver gifts and yesterday visited ground zero, where the World Trade Center towers toppled.
Kahu Charles Kaupu performed a Hawaiian blessing.
Moore said there were memorials with photographs of deceased firefighters at many fire stations.
At the Rescue One fire station in Manhattan, 11 out of 16 men died.
"It just hit me so strong," Moore said.
He said firefighters hung a giant lei they received from a school on Oahu in the station and had received a cobalt-blue lei through Federal Express on the day of the group's visit.
"There was so much aloha there in that firehouse," he said. "It really meant a lot to these people."
Hula dancer Doreen Mokiao said her family had doubts about her safety, but she was happy she decided to visit New York.
"I'm so happy I've been given this opportunity to help in the healing process," Mokiao said.
Luau public relations spokeswoman Yvonne Biegel said she was working in New York on Sept. 11 and was apprehensive about returning. Biegel said she decided to return because she left when the city was in shock, and she wanted to see New York as it returned to a normal pace.
"It's good to see the people doing business again," she said.
The Pearl City band visited Radio City Music Hall yesterday and took a ferry to see the Statue of Liberty.
About 30 school musicians also appeared on a morning talk show, "Good Day New York."
"They're enjoying themselves," said Annette Honda, a chaperon and mother of a band member.
Honda said the band traveled close to ground zero yesterday, and there was still considerable debris several blocks away from the former towers.
Honda said the youths who have not been to New York before this trip did not know how the skyline looked with the twin towers. But she said that for people like herself who had been to the city previously, the loss was noticeable.
"We know how they stood out, and now they're just not there," Honda said.
Honda said she talked with her daughter Nicole about the trip before they came to New York.
"We all thought it would be best to carry on and try to spread our aloha to the people of New York and America as a whole," Honda said.
