Manny Mokan and his wife, Larisa, lost nearly everything they owned in the deadly fire at the Marco Polo condominium.
Within days, Mokan was surprised to see his face on a trending campaign on GoFundMe.com, a crowdfunding website that raises small amounts of money from a large number of people to fund a project, venture, aspiration or life event, including celebrations and tragedies.
A trainer at Crossfit East Oahu — a gym Mokan joined only a few months ago — started a campaign on his behalf that raised $11,920 in three days from 76 people. That’s in addition to a fundraising box at the gym and donations of clothes, baby supplies and toiletries from fellow gym goers.
“I don’t know where they got my information … even the picture. I don’t have social media. I don’t have Facebook or any of that kind of stuff. My brother forwarded me the email with the link. When I saw (the GoFundMe page) I just broke down in tears,” said Mokan, who lived in the unit next to victim Britt Reller, 54. Mokan’s wife and their 16-month-old daughter bumped into Reller at the elevator 45 minutes before the blaze that killed him.
“Seventy-five percent of peoples’ names there on the GoFundMe page I really don’t know,” he said. “I’m speechless. I just thank everybody, especially I thank God because he’s the one who’s opening peoples’ hearts.”
Keoni Subiono, owner of Crossfit East Oahu, said a majority of the people who “blew up that fundraiser” for the Mokans are Crossfit East Oahu members. The gym sent out a mass email to its members and “blasted it on social media.”
At the urging of a friend, Joel Horiguchi started a GoFundMe page online with hopes of attracting the attention of businesses that could help with donations after heavy water damaged his and wife Nozomi’s unit on the 25th floor. The couple, who are planning their wedding ceremony on July 29, could salvage only a few belongings and can no longer live in the unit. His campaign raised $1,550 as of Wednesday.
“For the most part I wanted to try to see if I could get an organization or company that might be able to help maybe like for a tax write-off. I really hate putting my hand out and asking for help,” he said. “We poured all our money into the wedding so we really don’t have any cash now. I really feel bad seeing friends of friends donating to us — even random people.”
Businesses are also helping fire victims.
The board of Associa Hawaii, which manages the Marco Polo, is distributing up to $100,000 in grants ranging from $500 to $1,500 to affected residents. Applications are available in the Marco Polo lobby or on AssociaCares.com.
Sheraton Waikiki is hosting a Wine &Canvas painting event on Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a portion of each ticket sold to be donated to the Red Cross and one of the company’s family members who lost his apartment in the fire. Retailer Eden in Love also donated 15 percent of sales Wednesday to the Hawaii Red Cross to help displaced victims.
