Calling all keiki artists across the Hawaiian Islands! The City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation is proud to announce the opening of the 2025 Mayor’s Memorial Day Poster Contest. This annual contest challenges all school-age keiki to craft their best visual representation of our “Sew a Lei for Memorial Day” effort, to place a fresh lei on the approximately 38,000 graves within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Pūowaina (Punchbowl) for the annual Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony.

The keiki artists are invited to create a unique depiction of lei-making activities or ceremonial actions of the Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony at Pūowaina, such as the lei-sewing, military salutes, or other patriotic symbols. We encourage all students to participate in this contest, and we hope all educators see this as an educational and creative opportunity to highlight our talented keiki artists, while also showing appreciation for those who perished in the line of duty.

Winning artists and their posters will be celebrated through various media, and will take part in a Mayoral recognition ceremony where certificates and prizes are awarded! For pictures of the winning posters and the keiki artists during the Mayoral Award Ceremony from 2024 click here. Please courtesy the keiki artists for the use of their posters. Hau‘oli makahiki hou!

Winning entries will be chosen on their appeal, originality, and effectiveness in conveying the message of lei-making or Memorial Day service activities, with the following guidelines for the artwork:

• Using 8.5” X 11” white / colored paper or poster board, landscape or portrait orientation, with no frames or matting.
• Drawing with pen, ink, markers, crayons, pastels, and/or paints. No computer generated or enhanced and no cutouts.
• Limit of one entry per student, with the keiki artist’s following information on the back, upper right corner of the entry:
  • Student’s name, grade, school and/or island
  • Teacher’s name, phone number, and email

You may mail or deliver entries to:

Department of Parks and Recreation
Attn: Samantha Sun
1000 Ulu‘ōhi‘a Street, Suite 309
Kapolei, Hawai‘i 96707

Mailed entries must be received by Monday, February 24, 2025. Original copies will not be returned, so make sure to scan it for your records. For additional information, please contact Samantha Sun at (808) 768-3032 or email ssun1@honolulu.gov

The 74^th Mayor’s Memorial Day Ceremony is tentatively scheduled for Monday, May 26, 2025 beginning at 8:30 a.m. within the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Pūowaina (Punchbowl). Additional details about how to observe the ceremony will be announced at a later time.

For more information, please visit the Department of Parks and Recreation website.