First, thank you for your interest in the Polynesian Cultural Center. Over 33 million people have visited our world-famous cultural theme park and enjoyed our unique introduction to the people and cultures of Polynesia. Providing visitors with an unforgettable experience is certainly one of our objectives, but the PCC also has a higher purpose:
In addition to helping preserve and showcase South Pacific island cultures, the Polynesian Cultural Center is a nonprofit institution founded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (whose members are sometimes popularly called the Mormons or LDS) and dedicated to helping provide educational opportunities for students at the adjoining Brigham Young University Hawaii. Since the Center opened on October 12, 1963, nearly 17,000 students have financed their studies at BYU-Hawaii by working at PCC (To learn more about how to contribute to this cause, please click here).
The story of the PCC and BYU-Hawaii, which are also inextricably linked with the community of Laie and the Laie Hawaii Temple, actually goes back much further . . .
