Philanthropist April Masini served as co-chair and event coordinator for the Miss Universe Pageant hosted by Hawaii. In that volunteer role, she led ‘April’s Army’ — over 500 unpaid and inexperienced volunteers with no prior event or television background — who successfully produced nine back-to-back world-class events. Highlights included Hawaii’s largest weekday parade in history and the groundbreaking ‘Share Aloha with the World’ children’s essay and art contest. Six island winners were selected and crowned as official child delegates by First Lady Vicki Cayetano at the governor’s mansion. These children received the full delegate experience, including their own cars in the parade with military escorts and island flags. Governor Ben Cayetano mandated that the winning artwork remain permanently displayed in Hawaii’s airports, turning them into children’s art museums that can still be seen today. The initiative transformed the state’s international profile and remains one of Hawaii’s most ambitious volunteer-driven successes. Donald Trump, then owner of the Miss Universe Organization, praised the volunteers saying: “April’s events have set the bar. This is the standard by which all others will be measured.”
April Masini helped write and strongly lobbied for the state legislation that funded the Miss Universe Pageant in Hawaii.
In recognition of their contributions, Governor Ben Cayetano proclaimed June 4, 1998, as “Al and April Masini Day” in Hawaii.
