As communities on the second-largest island of Maui in Hawaii begin to grieve and rebuild in the wake of devastating wildfires, organizers in northern Utah have been overwhelmed with community support to help victims in the 50th state.
The Maui Relief Drive, organized by Utah Valley University's Pacific Islander Initiative, ended on Aug. 14 because of the deluge of supplies donated.
Hula Kalua-Santiago, a student assistant for the Pacific Islander Initiative, said the “outpouring of love” from the Utah county community had up to 100 volunteers collecting and sorting donations that filled “four big moving trucks.”
“We had to slow down and we had to listen to our people on Maui as well,” she said. “They were asking that we stop collecting huge items like clothing and unnecessary items that they need at the time just because it's taking more space on Maui.”
When considering things to bring to a supply drive, Kalua-Santiago said “to be thoughtful and intentional.”
“People should really prioritize the basic necessities that people need, focusing on hygiene and body care,” she said. “For Maui, they're suffering from fires, brush fires. So think about ‘what would happen if you were in a fire?’”
The Ogden Police Department also ended its supply drive early. Officers were collecting food and clothes for the family of one of their own, Det. Brei Wolfgramm, whose family lost everything in the decimated city of Lahaina.
“It led to around 50 plus members of her family all living under one roof just to try to find shelter because they had lost their shelter there in Maui,” said Lt. Will Farr with the Ogden Police Department, and leaving behind “homes that were burning with only the clothes on their back.”
Farr called the turnout incredible. The event that collected physical items ended earlier than its original Aug. 18 date after the department received more clothing, medical and hygiene supplies than it could handle.
Even as some organizations take a beat to assess how to move forward with donations, more Utah-based fundraisers are still ahead.
Melinda Pike, the lead organizer of the upcoming Aug. 30 Rebuild Maui Benefit Concert in Pleasant Grove, said “100% of the proceeds from the Rebuild Maui Benefit concert will go to the Lahui Foundation,” a nonprofit organization in Oahu.
“We've sold about 50 tickets,” since posting the event online, she said. “Just within launching the concert, instantly we saw ticket sales funneling in from pretty much the moment we posted on social media.”
For now, organizers are encouraging people to stop donating bulky physical items like clothes as they wait to hear from people on the ground in Maui.
“This is a marathon, this isn't a sprint,” said Pike.