Months of planning and preparation go into creating Founders Day celebrations around the world every year, where graduates can reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate their shared alma mater. In that same manner, the West Point Society of Hawaii had planned everything ahead of their April 10 Founders Day celebration—until Mother Nature threw a curveball. In his own words, Zoar Morales ’12, the Society leader who coordinated the event, relays what occurred and how the Society’s flexibility and sense of leadership formed a compassionate response.

Over the last four years, we have seen a noticeable increase in participation in Founders Day events, and we were on track to have our largest attendance ever with nearly 250 guests expected at Founders Day in Honolulu. In the week leading up to our original event date of April 10, the island of O’ahu experienced severe weather from the “Kona Lows” [seasonal cyclones that form in the Pacific Ocean west of the Hawaiian Islands and bring severe wind and torrential rain to the normally dry leeward (“Kona”) sides of the islands], with particularly significant impacts along the North Shore.

As the event approached, forecasts continued to predict heavy rainfall similar to storms that had affected the island in previous weeks. Nevertheless, we remained hopeful that the weather would not interfere with the celebration. But on the morning of the event, while we were packing decorations, name tags, and supplies in preparation for the evening, our catering company, Stacey’s Mom Hawaii Events Inc., notified us that the venue would be closing for the remainder of the day due to what officials described as potentially catastrophic storm conditions. I immediately contacted the venue manager to confirm the situation and learned that several state-operated facilities had been closed as a precaution. We explored options to relocate the event, but after carefully assessing the forecasts and considering the safety of our alumni and guests traveling to the venue, we made the difficult decision to postpone the celebration.

By that point, the catering company had already completed much of the food preparation for the more than 200 guests expected to attend. Since the food had already been purchased and prepared, we wanted to ensure it would not go to waste. Our first thought was to donate it through local shelters and organizations serving the homeless community. When we encountered some logistical challenges with those efforts, we quickly developed an alternative plan with the catering company. Using their delivery van and catering staff, they spent the day driving throughout O’ahu, from the Waianae Coast to Waipahu and other central areas, distributing freshly prepared meals directly to individuals experiencing homelessness. They stopped at parks, street corners, and parking lots, providing meals to those in need and bringing a bright spot to what was otherwise a gray and dreary day. While the cancellation was disappointing for all our guests and those who put much time and resources towards preparations, it was encouraging to know that the food prepared for our celebration was able to serve members of our community who needed it most. To paraphrase God’s Word in the Bible: What you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this to preserve the lives of many people.

The postponement was understandably disappointing for some graduates who had planned to attend on April 10 but were unable to return for the rescheduled event on May 8 due to PCS moves and other commitments. Fortunately, most of our original guests were able to attend on the new date. The event proved to be a wonderful celebration of West Point’s enduring spirit and fellowship and included the time-honored tradition of the youngest grad speech, delivered by Jorden Corpuz ’24, pictured. We were also deeply grateful to the many guests who, despite being unable to attend the rescheduled event, generously donated the value of their tickets to help offset the financial impact of the postponement. In addition, a local Old Grad made an extraordinarily generous anonymous donation of $10,000 to support the event and the Society.

While the unexpected weather created significant challenges, the experience ultimately showcased the generosity, resilience, and sense of service that continue to define the Long Gray Line. Despite the obstacles, the event was successfully held, friendships were renewed, and our West Point community came together once again in the spirit of Duty, Honor, Country.