The Honolulu community is preparing to celebrate Memorial Day in the city’s first in-person commemoration since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As city officials prepare for the event, they’re asking the community for help in honoring the 70-year tradition of placing lei on every grave at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl Crater.

“We are thrilled to be returning the Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony here to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific for the first in-person ceremony since the pandemic began,” Nathan Serota, spokesman for the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, said during a news conference at the cemetery.

“Really, it’s a fundamental human interaction and experience to appreciate those who came before us and sacrifice for our well-being,” said Serota.

On Saturday the Knights of Columbus will place flags in the cemetery’s Section A, and on Sunday about 1,000 members of the Boy Scouts will place lei on the graves in the cemetery as part of “Sew a Lei for Memorial Day.”

“Prior to that for this entire week, we’re going to be have an all-hands-on-deck effort to gather those 38,000 leis to place on those graves,” said Serota. “It’s very much a kokua effort, because we’re going to need as much help as we can.”

There will be lei-sewing events Friday for all ages at eight locations across Oahu listed on the city’s web page for the event, as well as a Thursday event at Kaneohe Senior Center at 4 p.m. for adults and seniors only.

“If you guys want to organize your own sewing events, you’re more than welcome to do that, please do. There’s going to be lots of locations where you can drop off those leis on that Friday,” said Serota. “You can drop off those lei at any Fire Department station from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. There is also about five federal fire stations that you can drop them off at and some other city park locations.”

The Girl Scouts will also be accepting flowers and lei Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Windward Mall.

The Monday ceremony will feature a color guard, speeches, an aircraft flyover, playing of taps and performances from the Royal Hawaiian Band and Sounds of Aloha Chorus.

“I want to welcome all the visitors that come annually. We want to make sure that they understand that it will be very crowded here as it is every Memorial Day,” said cemetery spokesman Gene Maestas. “So we recommend they do grave site visitation Saturday, Sunday and after the Memorial Day event on Monday.”

With parking at the cemetery expected to be limited, city officials have planned for additional parking at nearby Lincoln Elementary School and Stevenson Middle School with courtesy shuttle service to Punchbowl available. Handi-Van reserved rides and marked taxicabs also will be allowed to drive into the cemetery for drop-offs.

There also will be public parking available at the Frank Fasi Municipal Building Lot, with a special bus route with service from the Alapa‘i Transit Center up to the cemetery.

Parking is free, but regular bus fares apply for the event. The first bus from the transit center will depart at 7 a.m., with three additional trips to Puowaina leaving every 20 minutes. The final bus will depart at 8 a.m.

For more information on the ceremony as well as lei sewing and drop-off locations, visit the city’s event website at bit.ly/3NzSCHZ.