In roughly the time it would have taken to watch a baseball game, Kuhio Park Terrace residents and some civic-minded friends from the community yesterday made sure that the grounds of the storied public housing project were swept clean, that visitors had clear markings to follow on the interior roadways, and that someday soon 'ulu and ti would rise from the earth.

Some 350 people, including more than 150 residents, participated in the cleanup, a joint effort among the Institute for Human Services, Kanu Hawai'i and the Hawai'i Public Housing Authority.

The event, dubbed "Live Aloha Day," was initiated as a way to commemorate the birthday of IHS founder Claude Du Teil and encourage residents to take a vested interest in the care and maintenance of their shared home.

"We love this place," said Sanele Tauasosi, 54, who has lived at KPT with his wife, Matauaina, for 35 years. "And we want to encourage everyone who moves in here to participate. There are so many different nationalities but everyone comes together to help."

The Tauasosis, three-time winners of the community's beautification award, said they're happy with efforts by the housing authority and property manager Realty Laua to upkeep the facilities.

Hot-water boilers were recently replaced and repairs on the solar water heating system are ongoing. Work is also under way on a $4.1 million refurbishment of elevators at the complex. A $1.4 million replacement of vandalized fire alarms is also scheduled.

"We fully support our management," Matauaina Tauasosi said. "We all want to keep our home beautiful."

Residents and volunteers spent the morning picking up trash, repainting traffic and parking lines, pulling weeds and planting trees and plants in the common areas.

All equipment and materials used yesterday were donated. Nearby, Solid Rock Assembly of God church pitched in with lunch for everyone who worked.

Organizers expected the cleanup to take about five hours, but the wealth of available hands had all work completed in just three.

"The idea was to model a community coming together to get important work done," said James Koshiba, executive director of Kanu Hawai'i, a nonprofit community service organization. "A lot of people are going through tough times and the tendency is to fight one another for limited resources. Today shows what a community can do when they work together."

HPHA executive director Chad Taniguchi said he was most impressed by the number of residents who participated.

"That's the best part," Taniguchi said. "If residents help, it'll be a great neighborhood."