O‘AHU – Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Mayor’s Memorial Day Poster Contest!
This year the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) received 95 entries, with 16 keiki receiving accolades in their respective grade levels, including:
Kindergarten – 2nd grade
1st – Maeric Bliss Morales
2nd – Elliot Park
3rd – Nathaniel He
Honorable Mention – Ariel Cheng
3rd – 5th grade
1st – Sun Butts
2nd – Arichel Cabacungan
3rd – Charlotte Wong
Honorable Mention – Natalya Souza
6th – 8th grade
1st – Skylar Vea
2nd – Vera Dealino
3rd– Jaiden Villena
Honorable Mention – Avery Nakanishi
9th – 12th grade
1st – Sophia Tung
2nd– Adrienne Lininger
3rd – Brooke Fairman
Honorable Mention – Ila Kukahiko
This excellent artwork will be featured on Memorial Day publications, posted within Kapolei Hale, and is currently posted on DPR’s dedicated Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony website bit.ly/MayorsMemorialDay
The winners from each of the age categories will receive a prize package with art supplies during award ceremonies with the Honolulu City Council and Mayor Rick Blangiardi on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at Honolulu Hale.
Mahalo to all of the keiki artists, their ‘ohana, art teachers, and participating schools for taking part in this annual tradition. Special thanks to Kalihi Kai Elementary, Moanalua Elementary, ‘Ewa Makai Middle, and Castle High schools for their significant support and contributions to this contest.
More details concerning the 75th Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony, and how the public can view this time-honored event, will be announced later. In anticipation of the ceremony, DPR is beginning our statewide initiative to sew and gather 38,000 lei to adorn each grave at Pūowaina for the ceremony in a uniquely Hawaiian display of gratitude. The majority of the lei-sewing events on O‘ahu will begin the morning of Friday, May 22. The location and specific times for those opportunities are also posted on DPR’s dedicated Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony website bit.ly/MayorsMemorialDay
Following WWII, Pūowaina was designated the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific with the first Memorial Day Ceremony held within the crater in 1949. That humble ceremony inspired the City to make the solemn commitment of placing a fresh lei on every grave within Pūowaina for a Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony. Unfortunately, since that time the number of graves has increased to the nearly 38,000 service members whose final resting place resides within the memorial cemetery; making the creation and placement of the lei a kākou, community effort.
If you need an auxiliary aid/service, other accommodations due to a disability, or an interpreter for a language other than English in reference to this announcement, please contact the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation at (808) 768-3003 on weekdays from 7:45 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. or email parks@honolulu.gov at least three business days before the scheduled event. Without sufficient advanced notice, it may not be possible to fulfill requests.
—PAU—
Follow the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation online and on social media:
YouTube: bit.ly/DPRyoutube Twitter: @honolulu_parks Instagram: @honolulu_parks
Facebook: facebook.com/honolulu.parks Nextdoor: bit.ly/DPRnextdoor
Website: honolulu.gov/parks
