MEDIA RELEASE

Join 3rd Annual Parade & Festival for the United Nations International Day of Peace
Sunday, September 20, 2009

The peaceful plantation town of Honokaa on Hawaii’s Big Island will join a global internet broadcast celebrating the United Nations International Day of Peace on Sunday, September 20, 2009 during its 3rd Annual Parade & Festival. Stepping off at noon from Honokaa High School, the Parade is a “moving stage” of music, floats and entertainment with a message, including the sensational twirlsport performers of “Terminal Circus.”

Led by choreographer Annetta Lucero, Terminal Circus packs plenty of wow factor. Lucero, who began performing at the age of three, is an accomplished cirque professional, former member of the Cirque de Soleil talent bank, championship twirlsport gymnast and international choreographer. Her unique and inventive style combines the drama of theater with exceptional athleticism. The Terminal Circus troupe will include acrobats, aerial artists, stiltwalkers, keiki unicycle riders, a contortionist and the extraordinary “Cube.” For information visit www.AnnettaLucero.com

Terminal Circus is only one of 30+ performing groups in the Parade and Festival. Joining them are the extremely popular Honokaa High School Jazz Band, Pacific Buddhist Academy and Hui Okinawa Taiko Ensembles, Beamer-Solomon Hula Halau O Po’ohala, Waiakea High School Marching Band, KonaFM’s Tommy “Kahikina” Ching, Red Light Taxi, the Musasa African Marimba ensemble, award-winning “poetry slammers” from Honolulu, old fashioned rock and roll by Uncle Boogie and many more.

The Parade starts and ends at Honokaa High School. Step off time is 12:00 noon, and afterwards a community Peace Day Festival takes place at the high school from 1:00-4:30 p.m., with numerous local and ethnic food booths, artists and crafters, live entertainment and more.

The 2009 Parade and Festival are working to link with “Peace in Our Lifetime” and other international Peace Day celebrations and concerts around the globe in a live internet broadcast. Originated by British actress and activist Lynne Hazelden among others, the collective concert plans to use a virtual reality website called “Second Life,” to link the music of Honokaa, Hawaii with concerts from the United Kingdom, USA, Brazil, Jerusalem, South Africa and others. For more information, and to sign up for your free individualized Peace Certificate, visit www.planting-seeds.com

“There is no similar event in Hawaii or any other state in the country,” said event chair Miles Okumura. “And thanks to technology, we have a wider opportunity to join the global community in sharing our support of peace, compassion and awareness of universal interdependence. This is a very exciting time for all of us as we prepare to become the largest Peace Day commemoration ever.”

The United Nations has been celebrating the International Day of Peace for more than 25 years but the official Hawaii Peace Day was signed into law in 2007 by Gov. Linda Lingle. The mission of the organizers, the Peace Committee, is to promote peace, compassion and awareness of interdependence. Proceeds from the Parade and Festival go towards community services, including educational programs, charities, environmental activism programs and various peace initiatives.

The day before the Parade, Saturday, September 19, the Peace Committee presents a Honokaa Block Party with very special “Drums, Not Drugs” program to reinforce good choices for Hawaii’s youth. “Drums, Not Drugs” features street performances by Native American, Hawaiian and Taiko drummers, plus the Sacred Women’s Drum Circle of Pahoa from 3:00-6:00 p.m. Also during that time, a unique street art event, spearheaded by Mar Ortaleza of the Abled Hawaii Artists’ Festival.

Saturday evening is a very special opportunity to see Native American Motivational Speaker Brian Frejo at the Peoples Theater. After his talk, directed to Hawaii’s youth, he joins brother Quese IMC and their Native American Hip Hop Crew Culture Shock Camp for an unforgettable concert. Also on stage, Pacific Buddhist Academy Taiko Ensemble and the Native American drums of Pawnee / Irusca and more. Tickets for the concert, $10 per person, help defray the cost of the program.

“Drums, Not Drugs” is supported by Healing Our Island, North Hawaii Drug Free Coalition, the Hawaii Community Foundation and others. Your cash donation would help bring kids to the concert.

All of the artists at “Drums, Not Drugs” will appear along with Terminal Circus at the parade and festival. At the festival they will be joined by the award-winning group of poetry slammers from Oahu, “Youth Speaks Hawaii.”
The 3rd Annual Parade & Festival for the United Nations International Day of Peace is presented by the Peace Committee of the Honokaa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in cooperation with the United Nations and numerous community organizations. Major financial support has been provided by the County of Hawaii Department of Research and Development (Tourism Division) and the Social Concerns Committee of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii.

For more information email info@peacedayparade.org  or visit www.peacedayparade.org

Peace Day Festivities:

Saturday, September 19
3:00-6:00 p.m., “Drums, Not Drugs” Block Party. Dynamic drummers onstage and street art event. Free.
7:00 p.m., Brian Frejo and Culture Shock Camp in Concert at the Peoples Theater. $10 tickets

Sunday, September 20
12:00 noon, Parade steps off from Honokaa High School. Free.
1:00-4:00 p.m., Community Festival at Honokaa High School. Free.