Grand Canyon to Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Special Guests Todd and Gary Himaka

Date: May 22, 2015
Contact: Emily Davis, 928-638-7609

Grand Canyon, Ariz.– Grand Canyon National Park will host guests Todd and Gary Himaka for a special Ranger Rendezvous program on Thursday, May 28^th at 6:30 pm at Yavapai Geology Museum in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPIH) Month. Visitors are invited to join in on this short walk along the Rim Trail, where the Himakas and rangers from Grand Canyon and the Horace Albright Training Center will help promote AAPIH Month and the Healthy Parks Healthy People initiative.

Todd, program director and DJ for Sierra H Broadcasting, hosts "The Quiet Storm" on KAJM Mega 104.3, to the delight of R&B fans in Phoenix and a four-state area. The "Asian Soul Brother" has also released several mix CDs. Todd's father, Gary, a decorated United States Army veteran, served in the infantry in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970 and plays Hawaiian music at various events around San Diego. The Himakas will use music as a way to connect diverse audiences with the Healthy Parks Healthy People initiative.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is celebrated each year in May and recognizes the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have enriched the history of the United States and endeavored for a brighter future for the next generation. The 2015 theme for AAPIH Month is "Many Cultures, One Voice: Promote Equality and Inclusion."

For more information about this event, please contact Deidra Tutt Jackson at e-mail us or 928-231-2992 or Calvin Liu at e-mail us or 928-638-7991. To learn more about the National Park Service Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Initiative, visit https://www.nps.gov/history/asianpacificheritage/. For more about the Healthy Parks Healthy People Initiative, visit https://www.nps.gov/public_health/hp/hphp.htm.

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