Everyday our Aloha Ambassadors invite guests to take part in cultural activities that perpetuate the Hawaiian experience. Learn to play a song the Ukulele, dance the Hula or decorate a souvenir coconut.

As you enjoy the resort, you may notice the symbol on our associates’ name-tags. It is a Hawaiian quilt design of the ‘ulu or breadfruit.

Each year, we gather as an ohana (family) to celebrate the successes of the past, the blessing of the future, and to share our manao, or knowledge. We focus on a core Hawaiian value, which provides a foundation for what is to come. The tradition is so successful that we recently won recognition during the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s 2008 “Keep it Hawaii” ceremony when we received a Lehua Maka Noe award.

Last year, we learned about hookipa – a generous sharing of what you have without the expectation of receiving. The symbol for that was the pianapple. This year’s theme is, “I ulu no ka lala I ke kumu” – the reach of a tree’s branches depends on its trunk. The sumbol of this value is the ulu tree.

We learned that the ulu tree is a strong and tall tree whose wide, dense trunk provides support for its leaves and branches. The ulu fruit, high in carbohydrates, is a food source that provides sustenance. Polynesians used the wood of the trunk to build tools and canoes. The sap was used as an adhesive that sealed leaks and repaired holes. The leave provide shade for rest. And as a symbol, the ulu represents abundance and prosperity.

We were the symbol of the ulu tree to remind us about what we learned

I ulu no ka lala I ke kumu – the reach of a tree’s branches depends on it’s trunk.