Steve Hirano

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Steve Hirano (1946-December 19, 2003) was an hawaiian lobbyist and public relations manager. He made international news on August 20, 1994 when a rogue elephant named "Tyke" from a Blaisdell Center circus, for whom he was serving as publicist, charged and attacked him in Honolulu, Hawaii. Just moments earlier the elephant had killed her trainer Allen Campbell and mauled her groom Dallas Beckwith causing severe injuries during a Circus International performance before hundreds of horrified spectators. Despite being injured by "Tyke" who was eventually shot to death by police in the 1994 incident, Hirano fought to keep the circus coming to Honolulu. He called the accident a fluke and testified against a City Council bill to prohibit traveling exhibits, parades or circuses from having wild or exotic animals. He was also a spokesman for a Ringling Brothers Circus that came through town.

[edit] Death

Hirano died on December 19, 2003, less than two months after learning that he had pancreatic cancer. As chief executive officer of public relations firm PMCI Hawaii, Hirano had listed a number of large local and mainland companies as clients, including the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, Norwegian Cruise Line, Aloha Petroleum and the Hawaii Employers' Mutual Insurance Company.

Hirano was also a board member of the Hawaii International Film Festival, a member of the Filipino Cultural Center and president of the McKinley High School Foundation, which raises money for merit scholarships.