The Sesquicentennial Celebration parade, recognizing the 150 years that the LDS Church has been in Laie, united community members and students as they worked together to put on the event.
There were close to 175 volunteers who assisted in the parade by passing out balloons, water, oranges, and frozen yogurt to the parade participants.
Seeley Dopp, a junior from Idaho majoring in intercultural studies who works in the Service Center, assisted in organizing the floats in the parking lot to make sure the parade flowed smoothly.
The Laie Community Association members were the main organizers for the parade, according to Dopp. She explained how at least two of the members who were in charge of organizing the parade couldn’t help the day of the parade due to life emergencies.
Verla Moore was the only one running it the day of the parade and the student volunteers were able to help relieve some of the pressure.
Dopp said, “We both value Laie and we wanted to give students the chance to get to know the kupuna, or elders of the community.” Kupuna rode on motor scooters in the parade.
Hawaii Reserves Incorporated made a float that looked like a sugar cane train, representing the train that used to haul cane from the local plantation fields through Laie until 1948, said BYUH alumnus Mike Foley on his Facebook page.
Horseback riders from Gunstock Ranch wearing cowboy hats, blue jeans and bandanas rode in the parade.
The Hauula 5th Samoan Ward entered a float with people wearing traditional dress. President of the Polynesian Cultural Center, Alfred Grace, and his family were in the parade along with a group of PCC employees in cultural clothing from the various villages at the center.
There were other floats in the parade, including one from the Marriott Courtyard hotel, as well as elected officials and their supporters, members of the Kahuku High School Band and more.
Ellyn Adams, a sophomore from California studying art, transferred from BYU-Idaho last week. She said about the parade, “I heard trucks honking and I decided to go check it out. It seemed like a big deal.” She attended the parade with the family she lives with and she saw children collect the candy thrown to the spectators throughout the parade.
Adams said the dancers from the different Pacific islands were the most interesting portion of the parade to her. The PCC employees were dancing as they walked down the street.
Adams said she has always lived in mostly Mormon towns, but there is something significantly different about Laie. “I can see the gratitude that people have towards Heavenly Father here. President Hinckley said that this is a very special place and I can see that since I’ve been here.”
She said she has seen a deep level of dedication to the gospel among the members here.
Adams lives with a family off campus, so her experience interacting with the community is different than that of an on-campus student.
After the parade finished and the volunteers were waiting for pizza to arrive, Norm Black, the vice president of Administration at BYUH, thanked them for their participation and expressed how it aided in uniting the students and community.
Elder Aley K. Auna, an Area Seventy, spoke to the students as well. Dopp said, “This event helped us get off on the right foot for this coming semester.”