Fundraiser for Maui wildfire victims grows to over $1M
COURTESY JUSTIN JOHNSON
The view aboard U.S. Coast Guard vessel of wildfires burning homes and businesses in Lahaina.
In a span of just four hours today, donors wanting to help residents affected by the Maui wildfires expanded the Maui Strong Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation to $1 million.
Every donated dollar to the fund will go to community needs such as shelter, food and financial assistance for residents, and no fees will be collected for administration, foundation officials said.
“Hawaii is a very generous community,” Micah Kane, foundation CEO and president, said at a news conference today.
“I’m not surprised at all of the generosity that has stepped up in such a quick manner. I think we hit a million dollars in less than four hours. I anticipate that that will grow. And it just shows how much people care about their neighbors.”
Donations included a $500,000 contribution from the Omidyar ‘Ohana Fund at the foundation; $170,000 in existing funds in the Maui Strong Fund, which had been previously established; $100,000 from Goodfellow Bros.; $50,000 from Hawai‘i Life; $25,000 from Cooke Foundation; $25,000 from Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture & Design, a center of the Doris Duke Foundation; and anonymous donors. A list of donations and receiving organizations will be posted online in the coming days, Kane said.
The public may make online donations to the Maui Strong Fund at Hawaii Community Foundation at hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong.
Checks also may be mailed to the Maui Strong fund. Checks should be written to “Hawai‘i Community Foundation,” with “Maui Strong Fund” in the memo section. Mail to: Hawai‘i Community Foundation, 827 Fort Street Mall, Honolulu, HI 96813.
Nonprofit organizations seeking funding may e-mail requests to mauistrong@hcf-hawaii.org.
For questions or additional information on giving, contact the foundation’s Donor Services at 808-566-5560 or donorservices@hcf-hawaii.org.
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