In just over two weeks, American Samoa will be celebrating the 125th anniversary of the first raising of the US flag on local soil.
An outline of the Flag Day Program was presented by staff of the Communications Division of the Governor’s Office, Don Maifala, who heads the division and Press Secretary Fatima Langkilde on 93 KHJ’s Morning Show on Tuesday.
On Sunday, April 13, is the Flag Day Church Service at Kananafou-Ua Taunuu Church beginning at 2 pm.
From Monday to Wednesday is the Flag Day Performing Arts Festival sponsored by the Arts Council, and this will be held at the Fagatogo pavilion. A military band will be performing on the final night of the festival.
Depending on the weather the fautasi race will be held either on the Tuesday, or Wednesday, of that week.
Then, on Thursday, April 17, is the Flag Day ceremony with the parade, raising of the flags, and the Governor’s Address at the Fagatogo malae in the morning before the festivities move to the Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Play Audio
(Transc.) Maifala: That Thursday, we are celebrating first at Malaeoletalu. So that will take place from, 7 a.m. all the way till 10. So we’re going to have all those formalities there. We’re also going to have an ava ceremony there as well that morning. And we’re going to raise the flags there officially. And then, we’re going to shift everything over to the stadium from 1030 till closing about 4 p.m.
Langkilde: You know, it’s, 125 years since, the flag has been raised here in American Samoa, and I think it’s so proper to have, to have this start off at Malaeoletalu, where the flags were risen. And, the governor and lieutenant governor are just so happy and glad that, they’re here for the 125 years, you know, and, everything is planned so well that they would, want American Samoa to come out and enjoy themselves with the 125 years.
