HONOKAA — The International Day of Peace is celebrated every year on Sept. 21.
In honor of Peace Day on Saturday, the Peace Committee of Honokaa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple is teaming up with Hawaii Diaper Bank and the Honokaa Business Association for a groovy new happening with a ’70s vibe, “Peace Out Wipe Out.”
For this Peace Day Festival, the following road closure will be in effect. One lane of Mamane Street will be closed on Saturday. The makai lane, heading towards Waipio, will be closed between Kika and Lehua Streets. The mauka lane, heading towards Hilo, will stay open for one-way traffic.
The daylong event takes place on Mamane Street, from 12 noon to 4 p.m., featuring food trucks and craft vendors, a “splash booth” and live music. Those who bring a package of diapers, wipes or other essential baby needs (or a cash donation) will be entered into the prize giveaway drawing.
“We’re very happy to collaborate with the Diaper Bank and the Business Association,” said Peace Committee Chair Miles Okumura. “I’m disappointed that we aren’t able to have a parade this year, but If there’s anything we’ve learned since 2007 when we started, it’s that peace occurs on many levels: personal, community, island, country and across nations. By helping folks in our community — whether we collect diapers for babies, or serve free meals to hundreds every week — we are doing what we call ‘waging peace.’
“That said,” he continued, “Peace can be fun too, and Peace Out Wipe Out is going to be a lot of fun. There’s a tremendous amount of great energy and talent going into it, and I think it will be successful for the Diaper Bank, and a really worthwhile event for the whole town.”
Jessica Histo, founder and president of Hawaii Diaper Bank, loves to partner with other community organizations to benefit everyone.
“Now that we are based in Honokaa, I’m eager to work together with the Peace Committee, the hongwanji and the business association to help promote events and support each other in other ways,” she said. “I’m looking forward to making something that represents all of us, and hopefully helps those babies and parents who need it most.”
Hawaii Diaper Bank was founded by Histo during Diaper Need Awareness Week in 2016. In 2018, HDB incorporated as a nonprofit and welcomed its inaugural Board of Directors.
HDB is a community project under the fiscal sponsorship of Hawaii Children’s Action Network. For more information, visit HawaiiDiaperBank.org.
Peace Day in Hawaii was established through the efforts of a group of teens from the Hawaii United Federation of the Junior Young Buddhist Associations who lobbied the Legislature and secured the signature of Gov. Linda Lingle in 2007. Hawaii is still the only state with a permanent Peace Day that coincides with the United Nations International Day of Peace, Sept. 21.
Honpa Mission of Hawaii will celebrate Peace Day with the 4th annual “Ring Your Bell for Peace Day” Zoom event on Friday beginning at 8:15 a.m.
After a brief program, which includes a musical message from Peace Ambassador Jake Shimabukuro, hundreds of groups and individuals across the islands and the planet join together in ringing bells of all shapes and sizes.
Everyone is invited. Register here: Register here: bit.ly/PeaceDay2024.
For more information about the Peace Committee, Peace Day activities and more, visit https://tinyurl.com/2s39pcs8.