(bright upbeat music) - You're invited to help kick off Utah's Pacific Island Heritage Month at a free family celebration in Salt Lake City.

This year's theme is celebrating a culture where everybody belongs.

Susi Feltch-Malohifo'ou and Vili Lolohea from Pacific Island Knowledge to Action Resources, or PIK2AR, join us with more.

Welcome.

- Thank you for having us.

- And what I love about this celebration is you say it's more about, more than just celebrating culture.

It's sharing the culture as well.

- Correct.

I think we have an, we have a responsibility to teach about the different Pacific Island cultures.

You know, I'm, I come from the island of Tonga and if somebody mistakens me and says, "Are you Samoan or Hawaiian?"

I don't, shouldn't be getting angry about that because we haven't educated our neighbors about the difference of it.

And so, took the initiative to say, "We have to do our part into teaching and educating our neighbors."

- And this is an opportunity for them to come out for free and to learn from the source.

Vili, how does it feel to be doing this for the 14th year?

- It's an exciting event, you know?

It's, what makes it exciting that it's the 14th year, it's more of preserving you know, the history of the culture of what's happened in Utah.

And that's what's really exciting, that it's still continuing to go, to continue on that tradition.

- And Susi, what can people expect this year?

- Well always, I think our mainstay is we have Pacific Island cultural stations.

So, you'll come, you'll get a passport.

If you go to each one of our cultural stations and do the free activities, you get a stamp and then you redeem your passport for a backpack that's been designed by a local artist, Kalani Tonga, filled with school supplies.

So, that's what we do every year.

This year we have a little bit, we've added Oscar Fakahua from the "O Show".

He's our MC.

He's one of those TikTok famous kind of guys so we're happy to have him.

We've added wellness.

We wanted to teach Pacific Island wellness things that were indigenous and how we can use like, massage.

- Wow, so, something for the whole family to come out and enjoy and to learn and to grow.

If you would like to learn more information about this event or just head out and participate, it's the 14th annual Utah Pacific Island Heritage Month kickoff event happening at West High School Field House on August 1st from 11:00 AM until 8:00 PM.

Just head to pic2ar.org, the website on your screen, for more details and information and spread the word.

I'm Liz Adeola.

Thank you so much for watching "Contact".

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