Editorial
Aloha spirit helps New Yorkers heal

If you don't think the aloha spirit is alive and well in 21st-century Hawai'i, try telling that to the 600 New Yorkers who have been our guests this past week.

They are heroes of the war on terrorism; New York fire, police, emergency or recovery workers and their families, some of them widows and children of those who perished on Sept. 11. We can imagine few people more in need of the healing balm of Hawaiian aloha.

New York Fire Battalion Chief Joe Pfeifer put it about as well as any of the honored visitors when he thanked hotel staff at a send-off celebration that was generously punctuated by hugs and tears:

"All the people here in the hotel treated us like family," he said. "You've given us a new beginning, and we have warm feelings for Hawai'i, which we will carry with us all of our lives."

Another 600 New Yorkers will be Hawai'i's guests next year.

Gov. Ben Cayetano's office carried out this thoughtful gesture, but he's the first to admit that the idea cropped up spontaneously among dozens of local residents. It was clear from the outset that no one expected anything in return for this undertaking.

The visitors were flown here in two Hawaiian Airlines charter jets, with the crews donating their time; and the visitors were given free accommodations at Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Outrigger, Aston, Pacific Beach, Beachcomber, Royal Hawaiian, Sheraton, Princess Kaiulani and Parc hotels in Waikiki.

This after Hawaiian had been forced to lay off 12 percent of its workforce, and with the hotels in similar straits.

In the back of our minds, nevertheless, is the strong suspicion that this outpouring of aloha to these New Yorkers is somehow a long-range investment in our visitor industry.

Of course it is. No advertising or marketing dollars could duplicate it. "We have warm feelings for Hawai'i," said Battalion Chief Pfeifer, "which we will carry with us all of our lives."

The world is full of destinations with sun and sand, but only one is the land of aloha.

The aloha spirit, when you think about it, is our stock in trade. Yet it's not a product. It's not for sale.

As the ancient Hawaiians taught us, you don't benefit from it until you give it away.