Feb 2020 Echo of Our Song

Boarding
Aliʻi Sunday Honoring
King William Charles Lunalilo
Submitted by: Mike Peloso, Dormitory Advisor
On Sunday, January 26, 2020, Lunalilo and Kekāuluohi
Dormitories spent the morning at the historic Kawaiahaʻo
Church. We attended their Aliʻi Sunday service to celebrate
the life and the 185th birthday of King William Charles Lunalilo
(1835-1874). This has been a 16-year tradition for Lunalilo
Dormitory to honor our namesake and a 10-year tradition for
Kekāuluohi Dormitory whose namesake is Lunalilo’s mother,
Miriam Anuhea Kekāuluohi (1794-1845).
Haumāna prepared for the activity by learning about Lunalilo’s
life and his legacy. Lunalilo was a popular aliʻi who sadly passed
away after just one year on the throne. Lunalilo’s most
significant legacy is being the first Hawaiian aliʻi to leave his
personal lands to establish a charitable trust. This led to the
development of Lunalilo Home. Lunalilo Home was founded in
1883, “…to accommodate the poor, destitute, and infirmed
people of Hawaiian blood…”. This important Hawaiian Aliʻi
Trust is still doing amazing work for the kūpuna of Hawaiʻi
from their site in Maunalua, Oʻahu (www.lunalilo.org).
At Kawaiahaʻo Church, our two
dormitories attended the church service
led by Kahu Ken Makuakane (KS ’73) that
included a speech by Lunalilo Home CEO
Diane Paloma (KS ’91). Following the
church service, the haumāna entered
Lunalilo’s tomb to offer student made and
led ho’okupu to Lunalilo and his father,
Charles Kanaʻina. Many haumāna shared
that it was special to be “in the presence of
our aliʻi.” We concluded the morning in
fellowship with Kawaiaha’o church
members and with a walking tour of the
ʻIolani Palace grounds. The young men
and women did an excellent job
representing their dormitories, the
Boarding Program, and Kamehameha.