Posted on: Friday, April 27, 2001

Lei Day: Let's make it a tradition everywhere

This one just might work.

The Hawai'i Visitors & Convention Bureau plans to have its representatives hand out thousands of Hawaiian lei to strangers in 17 cities on Lei Day — May 1 — this year.

The project, including give-away copies of Hawaiian music CDs, press packets and the rest, will cost about $200,000. It will also involve a corps of volunteers in cities from New York to Buenos Aires.

What we'll get for the effort will no doubt be some startled looks along with lot of buzz about the Islands. It's a gimmick, sure, but a sweet one that is bound to garner a lot of attention.

There are many ways to promote. Random acts of kindness, by way of lovely Island tradition, may be something we will want to repeat.