Kawehi Adkins-Kupukaa was just 14 years old when she died in a horrific car crash in Ewa Beach just days before Thanksgiving 2012.

Her death devastated her family in ways they could not adequately express. Two years of shared grieving have helped the family to regain a semblance of orientation, of daily balance, but the desire to keep Adkins-Kupukaa alive in memory remains stronger than ever.

"She was just awesome, so vibrant," said aunt Sharlene Kupukaa, 41. "She was the life of the party, but she was also always helping others — taking care of (her grandmother) who is blind and watching her six nephews. She was a beautiful, loving girl."

Kupukaa was one of thousands of people who gathered at Ala Moana Beach Park on Monday to participate in Lantern Floating Hawaii, the annual ceremony of remembrance sponsored by Shinnyo-en Hawaii and Na Lei Aloha Foundation.

Kupukaa and about 20 family and friends spent the late afternoon beneath a massive tent decorated with a large banner emblazoned with her niece’s name and image.

"A lot of people have stopped by," Kupukaa said. "So we got to tell them about Kawehi, and we also got to hear their stories. That’s what makes this (event) so awesome. There’s a kind of healing that happens when we’re all here together supporting each other."

First staged in 1999 as a fusion of the Japa­nese obon tradition and the American Memorial Day, the lantern floating event has grown into a massive spectacle that includes live broadcasts on TV and the Internet.

This year organizers increased the number of lanterns available for participants to float in memory of loved ones to 6,000 from 5,000. An hour before Monday’s ceremony, all the lanterns had been distributed, and volunteers had to turn away late-arriving, would-be participants.

Organizers predicted that as many as 50,000 participants and spectators would be on hand for the event. While no official count was available, it was clear that humid conditions and intermittent showers did not significantly affect attendance compared with previous years. By the time the official program began at 6 p.m., tens of thousands of people had descended on the park, mixing shoulder-to-shoulder with late-staying holiday park users and the park’s homeless community, many of whom availed themselves of half-eaten barbecue and concession fare overflowing the trash cans.

The program included performances by Makaha Sons, the Shinnyo-en Shomyo and Taiko ensembles, and Halau Hula Kamamolikolehua, as well as an address by Shinnyo-en founder Shinso Ito.

While the scale and spectacle of the event seemed off-putting to a few passers-by, participants bearing their self-designed memorial lanterns to the beach said they found the experience was meaningful and genuine.

"I come every year and it’s the most incredible experience," said Marion Valle, 62, of Waikiki.

Valle’s lantern bore photographs and special messages for her deceased mother, aunt and sister, as well as for a cousin and a friend who both died within the last year.

"It’s amazing to feel the energy generated when thousands of people from everywhere are putting out the same thing, the same kind of good memories and messages of love," she said. "When that happens all at the same time, it makes you vibrate. It’s a shared experience but it’s also very, very personal."

Newlyweds Matt and Andrea Anza, who hail from Massachusetts and Louisiana respectively, viewed the ceremony as a unique way to remember deceased loved ones and celebrate Memorial Day.

Andrea Anza decorated a lantern in memory of her grandfather and one of her cousins. Matt Anza added a message of appreciation for those who served and died for their country.

"I think it’s an awesome experience to be able to participate in a culture that is different from us and in a way that is respectful and meaningful," Andrea Anza said. "I think this is really beautiful and heartfelt."