A Place Born of Love
It truly is a privilege to be associated with this very special place, and although I am unworthy, I am truly grateful to be able to be a small part of it each and every day.
It truly is a privilege to be associated with this very special place, and although I am unworthy, I am truly grateful to be able to be a small part of it each and every day.
In the early 1960s, while serving in the Sāmoa Apia Mission, Elder Ron Haymore helped fulfill a unique request from the Polynesian Cultural Center—to acquire authentic ‘afa, the coconut fiber cordage traditionally used to lash wooden structures. Under Mission President John Phillip Hanks’ direction, Elder Haymore traveled across Upolu with local matai, visiting villages and gathering coils of ‘afa. His small but meaningful effort became part of the PCC’s early construction legacy, connecting craftsmanship and culture across the Pacific.
Over 200 former members of the Polynesian Cultural Center’s hālau hula, Hui Ho‘oulu Aloha, gathered in Laie on August 16, 2025, for a heartfelt reunion celebrating over 40 years of hula legacy. Founded in the early 1980s under kumu hula Cy Bridges, Keith Awai, Enoka Kaina, and “Uncle Bill” Wallace III, the group once competed at Merrie Monarch and other festivals. The reunion, filled with song, stories, and impromptu hula, honored past members and rekindled cherished bonds.
Labor missionary Percy TeHira, a New Zealand Māori who also previously served as a labor missionary in New Zealand, paints traditional kowhaiwhai designs on the window frames of the meeting house in the Polynesian Cultural Centerʻs Maori Village. in 1963. (Photo courtesy of the BYU–Hawaii Archives)
In the early 1960s as a missionary in Sāmata, Savai‘i, I once joined a high chief for breakfast, served *sua pusi*—moray eel cooked in coconut milk. A guest refused to eat, noting that not even flies would land on it. Later that day, a truckload of villagers was rushed to the hospital with food poisoning from that same eel. My companion and I, protected by the Lord’s promise, felt no sickness at all. I’ve never eaten eel again.
Growing up in one of Suva’s toughest neighborhoods, Timoci (Jimmy) Kean learned that “We love to compete” wasn’t just about basketball—it was about life. Facing poverty and constant temptation, Jimmy found strength through faith, education, and opportunity. His journey from Raiwaqa to BYU–Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center is a powerful story of resilience and transformation.
Tahitian dancer Atea Lee Chip Sao turned every challenge into a stepping stone. From his first lūʻau performance to earning a spot in HĀ: Breath of Life at the Polynesian Cultural Center, his journey reflects determination and faith. Inspired by his mission in Fiji, Atea rediscovered pride in his Tahitian roots and culture. Today, he continues to tell stories through dance and photography, sharing the same passion, expression, and connection that shaped his path.
In the early 2000s, PCC reclaimed control of its transportation—and its guest experience. After decades of Waikīkī tour operators consolidating ticket sales, dictating schedules, and siphoning retail and dining, President & CEO Alfred Grace and strategist J. Alan Walker led a 2002 reset: no more consolidation, direct sales incentives, and PCC-managed charters and dispatch. Buses arrived earlier, NPS rose, margins improved, and partnerships professionalized (eventually with Roberts Hawai‘i and camera-based quality scoring). The shift remains a strategic victory for PCC.
When 22-year-old Josephine St. John left her home in Labasa, Fiji, to begin her studies at BYU–Hawaiʻi, she thought she was simply chasing a dream of higher education. What she didn’t know was that her arrival would be captured on camera and later featured in Sharing Aloha—a 95-minute documentary unveiling the behind-the-scenes world of the Polynesian Cultural Center.
From her family in Fiji selling palusami and root crops cooked in a traditional lovo to raise her airfare, to learning how to balance studies with PCC work, Josephine’s story embodies sacrifice, resilience, and the power of shared culture. Sharing Aloha not only follows her journey but also shines a light on how the PCC preserves Polynesian traditions while providing life-changing opportunities for students like Josephine.