TIRELESS SERVICE

The parking lot at the PCC usually empties out by 10:00 p.m., so a few months ago, when Security Officers Lama and Vince noticed a truck still parked in front of the PCC’s Hukilau Marketplace, they knew something wasn’t right. They found three older guests standing outside their rental truck, waiting for AAA to come and fix a flat tire. Apparently, it had a slow leak. They had filled it with air earlier in the day, but after a full day of activities, dinner at the lu‘au, and watching HA: Breath of Life, the air had slowly escaped. Now they were stuck, waiting for help.
 
Lama and Vince didn’t want the guests sitting out in the parking lot for the hour or two it would take for AAA to arrive from downtown Honolulu, so they went to work.
 
Cars these days put spare tires in the most ridiculous places, so it became quite the little production watching these two—one from Malaysia and the other from Samoa—try to get the spare out from under the truck. A third employee, Johnny, who works in the kitchen, saw what was happening and stopped by to help. In just a few minutes, they had the truck jacked up, the flat tire removed, and the spare tire on—ready for the long drive back to the other side of the island.
 
The guests thanked the trio and began their drive back to Waikiki.
 
Yesterday, I received an email from a guest who said she was there in the parking lot that night, watching it all take place, and wanted to commend those employees for going the extra mile. In her lengthy email—where she praised the PCC for its mission to educate and support students from all over the world and gave high praise to the employees who “make me feel welcome like family every time I’m there”—she wrote:
 
“I commend them for doing what they did—definitely above and beyond the scope of their jobs, I’m sure. But even more important, in my eyes, was the way they did it. They didn’t have to do it, but there they were, not only doing the work, but smiling, laughing, and enjoying themselves while they worked. The world needs more young people like this.”
 
I couldn’t agree more. President David O. McKay called them “genuine gold,” and I think the world would be a richer place if there were more people like this in it.
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Picture of Jimmy Mapu - The Governor

Jimmy Mapu - The Governor

Jimmy Mapu is the beloved Governor of the Polynesian Cultural Center, a title earned through decades of dedicated service and genuine care for people. He currently serves as Director of Guest Services, where he provides steady leadership and mentorship to the Center’s tour guides and frontline employees who bring Polynesian culture to life each day.

Known for his warmth, humor, and gift for storytelling, Jimmy’s reflections speak not only to guests but especially to the employees he leads—capturing the heart, history, and values that define the Polynesian Cultural Center.