Petra Lawelawe of the Ahahui Ka‘ahumanu strings plumeria lei near the King Kamehameha statue in preparation for the lei-draping ceremony today. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

It was a small lei-making assembly line, set up as it is every year at this time, in the shadow of the King Kamehameha statue on King Street.

And just as they do every year, the volunteer lei stringers were there to work their magic, one yellow-centered blossom at a time.

It will take them all day but they will make enough lei to honor Kamehameha in an annual display of respect. The 131st Annual King Kamehameha Celebration is all about tradition and decorating his statue is one of the most widely recognized tributes.

"This is a way of giving back to King Kamehameha," said Lynnette Aea, a member of Ahahui Ka'ahumanu, and one of a dozen lei makers working hard this morning not far from the statue where tourist shutterbugs clicked away.

"I'm here to honor him," Aea said. "And to present him with lei of aloha."

Like the dozen friends around her, Aea's hands moved rhythmically, blossom to lei needle, blossom to lei needle. They had more than 15,000 plumeria to string.

"This is what we do," said Aquanetta Sonognini, who sat nearby. "Sometimes we have a lot of people and not enough flowers. Sometimes we have a lot of flowers and not enough people."

But it is always a long day of stringing.

And talking.

"This gives us a chance to talk," said Eloise Bruns, vice president of the society. "We talk nonsense, business and tell stories about our families. It's social. We keep our hands busy, as fast as our mouths are going."

Draping the statue with lei, scheduled for this afternoon, is a prelude to the Kamehameha parade. It starts at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at the intersection of King and Richards streets.

Workers will drape the statue of King Kamehameha with lei at 3:30 p.m. today in preparation for tomorrow’s 131st annual celebration. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Keahi Allen watched the lei stringers and smiled. This was a good crop of blossoms and everyone was moving briskly.

She has been a part of the celebration activities for 30 years and even though she had "retired" from any formal participation, she was there today. She wouldn't miss it for anything.

The volunteers that help are driven by deep feelings, she said. And their help is vital to the events.

"I think it's a sense of pride and wanting to see the events accomplished with dignity," she said.

Allen's family has been doing this for five generations. Her mother, the late Napua Stevens, was an emcee for years and her grandchildren help now.

"You have to press your family into working," she said with a laugh. "You tell them it's a matter of culture and pride, and they come out and do it."

One blossom at a time.