Daisy Fest: A Celebration of Love and Hope
When Scott Meehan talks about Daisy Fest, the annual music event he founded in Honolulu, he doesn’t describe it as a memorial. To him, it’s a celebration — a chance to keep alive the joy, energy and spirit of his late wife, Donna (“Daisy”), who died of pancreatic cancer in 2022.
“Daisy Fest is about the music and musicians, and it’s about raising money for pancreatic cancer research at City of Hope®,” says Scott, a long-time Honolulu resident. “But mostly it’s about Donna. Helping others was at the core of who she was. Even though she’s not here with me, I feel like we are doing Daisy Fest together. I want people to know her and remember her.”
“Aloha Ever After”
Scott and Donna were together for 12 years, building a life filled with music, adventure, and a love for Hawaiian culture and community. Their 2019 wedding celebration included a luau, gathering loved ones and musicians for ‘Aloha Ever After,’ an event they planned to make annual.
A diagnosis of Stage 4 pancreatic cancer changed those plans. Interested in immunotherapy treatment, Donna and Scott traveled to City of Hope for treatment. Donna was quickly enrolled in a clinical trial, but ultimately her cancer was too aggressive, and she did not survive.
Despite this loss, Scott speaks positively about their experience at City of Hope — it’s part of his reason for doing Daisy Fest, and staying connected to City of Hope.
“From day one at City of Hope, our experience was very personal,” Scott recalls. “The doctors and nurses cared so much, and the volunteers guided us. It felt like magic as things kept falling into place when we needed them to.”
He and Daisy took advantage of Couples Coping Together Against Cancer, a supportive care program, which provided much-needed connection with others facing a cancer diagnosis.
Later, Scott again sought help from City of Hope, as he struggled with grieving, a process that has been raw and, at times, overwhelming. He joined a grief and bereavement support group at City of Hope.
“It was really powerful. I love that those groups exist... to develop friendships with these people, that's really meaningful,” shared Scott. “I want to talk about Donna; I don’t want her to be forgotten.”
A Movement of Hope
Though he continues to navigate the shock of losing Donna, Scott has chosen to turn his sorrow into something profoundly meaningful. In 2023, he hosted a celebration of life, which he dubbed Daisy Fest. Inspired by ‘Aloha Ever After,’ Scott invited their wedding guests back to the Bayer Estate (site of the original wedding luau) for an evening of music, dancing and memories.
What began as a tribute to Donna quickly became a movement. In 2024, Scott hosted Daisy Fest as a fundraiser at the Bayer Estate. He moved the next Daisy Fest to Blue Note Hawaii, a well-known music venue in Waikiki that also happens to be where Scott had proposed to Donna years earlier. With an impressive lineup of local artists, the event was, in Scott’s words, “magical.”
Much Needed Support for Pancreatic Cancer Research
Donations to Daisy Fest help City of Hope fund breakthroughs in preventing, detecting and treating pancreatic cancer. The disease is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
“For too long, pancreatic cancer has remained one of the deadliest and hardest to diagnose cancers,” says Diana Keim, associate vice president, Community Fundraising. “Scott wants to change that. Daisy Fest is an act of courage that inspires all of us at City of Hope. We are deeply grateful to Scott and everyone who participates in this incredible musical event.”
Just a Regular Guy
Planning Daisy Fest doesn’t come naturally to Scott. But he embraces the challenge out of love for Donna, their life together and to further pancreatic cancer research. “I’m not an event planner, concert promoter or media relations expert,” he says. “I’m just a regular guy who is passionate about music and supporting local artists. I love talking about Donna and keeping her memory alive. And if I can do this, I think anybody can.”
Visit the Daisy Fest website to learn more about this special event and livestream, and read how a gift from entrepreneurs and philanthropists, A. Emmet Stephenson Jr. and his daughter Tessa Stephenson Brand, is accelerating our commitment to pancreatic cancer research.
Pictured left: Scott and Donna at their 2019 Aloha Ever After wedding celebration. Pictured right: 2025 Daisy Fest at the Blue Note Hawaii.