UH MED SCHOOL professor Dr. Alson Inaba, 51, helped kick off National CPR Awareness Week in New York City in an event that had Hollywood flair.

Inaba is the creator of the "Stayin’ Alive" CPR method, which uses the beat in the Bee Gees‘ hit "Stayin’ Alive" to teach the correct rates for chest compression. The June 5 event featured dancers in all-white disco-era suits, like the one John Travolta wore in "Saturday Night Fever," and mass demonstrations of the disco-derived CPR teaching technique that Inaba created in a medical-school classroom seven years ago. The American Heart Association has adopted the Bee Gees’ hit and Inaba’s technique in international video public service announcements, and has also begun using a Travolta-suit logo in its CPR education campaign. Inaba said the song has about 100 beats per minute — the same rate the AHA recommends for CPR chest compressions.

Inaba did interviews with ABC’s "Good Morning America" and NBC News before the kickoff event. The Big Apple adventure was not his first time in the showbiz spotlight. When he was a boy magician, he performed in David Copperfield‘s engagement at the Pagoda Hotel’s C’est Si Bon when Copperfield was starting out …

THE ROOSEVELT-Punahou athletic rivalry was red-hot in the days when public and private schools played against each other. Students from both schools would invade the campuses and use paint to splash their school colors on their rival’s buildings and engage in other mischief. In an attempt to make things civil and create good sportsmanship, the Paint Brush Trophy was created in 1948. It went to the winning team after the big RHS-Pun football game. A night of football nostalgia took place June 6 at the Elks Club when about 30 former players from Roosevelt and Punahou got together and talked story about the battles that took place on the old Honolulu Stadium turf. Roosevelt 1955 grad Danny Kaleikini and Melveen Leed, a Radford ’61 girl but one who is welcome just about anywhere, entertained. The reunion was organized by Mike Kelly and Jerry Whaley of Roosevelt and the late Peterson Burke of Punahou, whose death Saturday in a surfing contest was a shock, Whaley said. All three were in the class of ’57 …

HAWAII CHILDREN’S Cancer Foundation will host its annual fundraising event at Murphy’s Bar & Grill June 23. This year’s theme is "All You Need is Love." HCCF’s focus is children with cancer and their families. Monica and Deane Salter are co-chairs. If you have an item to donate for the event auction, email info@hccf.org or visit www.hccf.org for more info …

SERVICES and inurnment for former Hawaii Newspaper Guild Administrative Officer Freddie Lee, 85, were held Thursday. Services were at Saint Pius X Church, where Freddie volunteered to help feed the homeless. Inurnment was at Diamond Head Memorial Park. After moving on from his guild position, Freddie became an ILWU official for 20 years. He also served many years on the Rehab Hospital board. Freddie was a ’44 Punahou grad, a patriot who joined the Navy immediately after graduation and served in World War II. He graduated from UH after naval service. Condolences to his wife, Helen, sister Lila Lee and other family members … A memorial jazz sendoff celebration for musician Archie Grant, 79, a former bassist for the Arthur Lyman group who died April 24, will be held June 24 at the Hawaii Yacht Club, 1 to 5 p.m. …

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Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.