(BIVN) – 500,000 green ti leaves are needed to restore the roof of Hale Mana, one of the buildings at the legendary Ahuena Heiau on Kamakahonu Bay.

Ahuena Heiau is a National Historic Landmark, and was Kamehameha the Great’s “personal residence” and dedication to the god, Lona. Kamehameha is said to have died on these same grounds in 1819. His son, Kamehameha II, ended kapu law here before ordering the heiau destroyed. The current structure is a restored version rebuilt in 1975 to one third original scale.

The last major restoration at Ahuena Heiau was in 1999. Ahuena Heiau Inc. is asking the community for assistance, by dropping off ti leaves on Saturday at Yano Hall in Captain Cook (8am to noon) or King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel (8am to 4pm). Leaves will be prepared at Ahuena Heiau on September 27th.