THE TODAY SHOW HOSTS AN ALI‘I LUAU AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER WITH THE POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER

New York – July 23, 2003 – NBC’s The Today Show was transported visually to Oahu’s North Shore today, as Rockefeller Center became the surrogate home of the Polynesian Cultural Center’s all-new Alii Luau.

PCC luau manager Raymond Mokiao showed host Al Roker and The Today Show audience how to prepare traditional Hawaiian luau foods at home with recipes for oven-roasted kalua pig, lomilomi salmon, taro rolls, poi, haupia and more.

“ It was exciting to share the Hawaiian culture and luau foods with The Today Show and its audience,” said Raymond Mokiao. “It is an honor to appear on national television and tell people about the history and traditions of the luau, as well as the PCC and its mission. I hope it helps people to better understand the Hawaiian people and gives them a reason to come visit us to learn more.”
A host of hula dancers and musicians set the stage for the tasty, colorful presentation among lush greenery, flowers and cheering crowds.

At the end of the show, co-hosts Katie Couric and Matt Lauer joined the festivities to dance a little hula and taste the food prepared by Al and Raymond. NBC also posted the recipes on the Today Show Web site at http://www.msnbc.com/news/942441.asp for viewers to download and try at home.

The PCC, Hawaii’s number one paid visitor attraction, is located on Oahu’s scenic North Shore and features the seven Polynesian cultures of Hawai‘i, Tahiti, Tonga, Samoa, the Marquesas, Fiji and Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as a new Easter Island exhibit. The appearance on The Today Show was to promote the all-new Ali‘i Luau and the PCC’s yearlong 40th Anniversary Celebration.

Founded in 1963 as a non-profit organization, the PCC has entertained more than 30 million visitors by preserving and portraying the spirit, culture and people of Polynesia to the rest of the world. More important is the mission of the PCC, which supports the educational mission of Brigham Young University-Hawaii and provides an extension of the classroom in a workplace setting. Since its establishment, the PCC has employed more than 12,000 BYU-Hawaii students. As a non-profit organization, 100 percent of the PCC’s revenue is used for daily operations and to support the students who earn their tuition, room and board, and books. The PCC also provides significant financial support to elementary and secondary schools and to college students attending institutions of their choice besides BYU-Hawaii.