FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                   May 26, 2006

Release M-55-06 (Revised)

MAYOR AND MRS. HANNEMANN TO HELP GIRL SCOUTS

DECORATE GRAVESITES AT

HAWAII VETERANS CEMETERY

                     Mayor Mufi Hannemann and First Lady Gail Mukaihata Hannemann will greet Girl Scout volunteers who will place Memorial Day lei and American flags at gravesites at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery in Kaneohe on Sunday, May 28, 2006.

                 This will be the 16th year the Girl Scouts have decorated the graves at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery for Memorial Day.  The mayor and Mrs. Hannemann, chief executive officer of the Girl Scout Council of Hawaii, will be there from noon.  A flag ceremony will be held at 12:30 p.m.  Then volunteers from 10 Oahu Girl Scout troops will place a fresh flower lei and American flag at each of the more than 5,700 graves at the cemetery. 

                      “Traditionally, the City collects fresh flower lei to decorate graves at veterans cemeteries statewide each Memorial Day,” said Mayor Hannemann. “On Sunday, the eve of Memorial Day, Boy Scouts place a lei and flag at graves at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific on Punchbowl and the Girl Scouts do the same at the Hawaii State Veterans Cemetery.  

               “Since its inception after the Civil War, the purpose of this solemn national holiday is to honor those who gave their lives in service to America,” said Mayor Hannemann. “We are heartened to see the young people maintaining this tradition and we are glad to help them.”

               Lei that are collected on the Neighbor Islands are placed at veterans cemeteries on each respective island or shipped to Oahu free by Aloha Airlines.

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Contact:

            Bill Brennan, 527-6928

            Mark Matsunaga, 527-5767