In a previous blog I shared my memories of legendary Hawaiian entertainer Don Ho. The iconic singer died from heart failure on April 14th. According to news reports, in the days and weeks since his death, cards and flowers have poured into his family’s home and to the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel, Ho’s venue from 1994 until his death. In addition, those who knew Ho best have been feverishly organizing a memorial befitting of the entertainer’s legendary status.
If you are a fan of the late Don Ho you may consider heading to Hawaii this weekend (yes, I know, if it were that easy). That’s when Ho’s memorial service will take place. Event organizers expect more than 25,000 people to gather on Waikiki beach for the service.
As of today, the May 5th event is slated to include flowers dropped from a helicopter, live musical tributes from some of the Island’s most popular singers and hula dancers, and a parade of canoes decorated in a 76-foot lei (one-foot for each of Ho’s 76 years on Earth).
According to event organizers, the memorial service will begin at about 5 p.m. on the beach fronting the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. After a short Christian and Hawaiian service a flotilla of boats and canoes will take Ho’s ashes out to sea. The live entertainment will follow at sundown. The memorial will not include a eulogy. Instead, the entertainment portion of the event will be interspersed with Ho’s family and friends sharing their own memories of the beloved singer. Organizers are quick to point out that the memorial is not strictly a concert; rather they say: “There needs a level of reverence and dignity present.”
Still, Ho’s memorial in being billed as a “celebration.” Ho’s family members say they have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love shown by people from around the world. In fact, organizers say so many of Ho’s friends volunteered to perform in memory of the singer, a special expanded stage had to be designed to accommodate them all.
Yesterday, I spoke with a number of my friends who still live in Hawaii. They told me that some people have been sleeping in makeshift tents on the beach for the past few days to ensure a good spot for the memorial service. Now’s that’s dedication.
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