The crew gets familiar with Grant Ichikawa's masterpiece; 6 vertical braces ready for assembly.  Grant had designed the braces, assembled them, then disassembled and transported them to the Hyatt Regency hotel.  

Grant's crew included Vic Abe (L.A.), daughters Vicki and Verna, David Asai (Indiana), Dr Wayne and Arlene Minami, Paul Tani, John Tagami (VA), John Kiyonaga (VA), Dave Buto (VA), Gene Thompson (husband of Shiho Thompson of NJAMF), Frank Nekoba (VA), Bryan Ichikawa (VA, son of Grant)

Each brace came with a plastic bag with nuts, bolts, and carpet pieces (to protect the wall and quilt).  Bryan Ichikawa tightens the bolts.

Larry Shaw and Grant going over the details.  Larry generously volunteered to bring the quilt from Indiana.  He used his truck to transport the quilt and the top hanging rod that Eli Lilly provided just for the quilt.

Although the engineering had been compared to "the Bridge on the River Kwai", the raising resembled the Iwo Jima flag raising.

Larry makes careful measurements to ensure the distance between braces is the same.

The 6 braces ready for the 300 pound quilt.  

The real experts get into the action.  The young adults from Indiana show the crew how to reassemble the quilt.

Even the moms got into the action helping to lash the quilt to the top supporting rods.  Verna Abe-Asai (center) traveled from Indiana with her husband, David Asai.

The stewardship of Leila Meyerratken, observing the final assembly.

The old timers and youngsters join together to begin raising the quilt.

One person was assigned to a brace as a "quilt raiser" and given a number corresponding to the brace.  

As the quilt was raised and the "quilt raisers" were hidden behind the massive quilt, Larry would tell everyone to begin raising the quilt slowly to a designated height.  To keep the quilt level, Larry would tell, for example, everyone to stop except "number 3 and 4".

The crew from Indiana before the finished product.