<div><strong>Aloha, I'm Michael McCartney and I'm a survivor of the aftermath of Lāhainā's heartbreaking loss of my home town located in West Maui on the island of Maui in the state of Hawai'i. This is the very first time that I can access the internet since this horrible disaster took place over a week and a half ago. If you're reading this, you may live in another part of the world and most likely, you know more than me, as to what happened to West Maui. I'm in the center of it. I have no idea of news coverage on television around the globe and have not been able to access the internet and social media. Cellular service is slowly coming back. Many of us are still having a serious challenge connecting with loved ones and the outside world. </strong>
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<div><strong>The facts are that the vast majority of my family and friends have lost their homes. We have lost family, friends and pets. We will never see them again. We are shell-shocked and overcome with emotion. We are coming together as neighbors and a community to help one another. </strong>
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<div><strong>I am positive that there must be at least a few thousand GoFundMe fundraisers for ohana and organizations. If you have helped with any of them, I want you to know how appreciative I am for your kindness and compassion in helping them. </strong>
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<div><strong>I am raising immediate and short term emergency funds for twenty plus families that could use your help now and possibly a few grassroots organizations to be determined at a later date. I am currently based outside of my home that did get some fire damage, but even without power, I do have a place to shelter here. I know how fortunate I am with members of the National Guard, the Sheriff Department and the Police Department based outside of my home. They are doing their best with search and rescue operations in my vast neighborhood which is now a wasteland. The photograph that you see above is my neighbor's home across the street. The entire town is leveled to the ground with some structures that took fire damage but are still standing. </strong>
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<div><strong>Immediate contributions will go to items that are in desperate need like wheelchairs to be replaced, generators, clothing, etc. Short term funds will go towards helping families get on their feet with getting a used automobile (which were already in high demand here in Hawaii, due to the Covid-19 pandemic) and other essentials that will be needed for the next few months. </strong>
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<div><strong>Seriously, we are a strong community and we know that no matter how traumatic and heartbreaking it is to lose family members, dear friends, beloved pets and a place to call home with a roof over our heads...we will rebuild. We also know that this may take anywhere from two to five years before we will see some semblance of a town again. The intended high goal of $1,000,000, if reached, is intended to at least help some families that need some immediate assistance and hopefully twenty families can each receive a figure close to $50,000 each. If not, I will do my best to get whatever funds flow through your compassionate generosity to those who need it. </strong>
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<div><strong>My friends know me as a broadcaster. The pandemic forced many like myself to set up our studios for radio at home. Now with our major location no longer here, I will need to rebuild the equipment that was ruined by the disaster. I don't expect the personal cost to replace everything and get set up and running to broadcast over the FM dial to communicate with the masses will be costly. Today's world of broadcast equipment has become much cheaper than it was ten and twenty years ago. Whenever power is restored in my area, that is something I will access then. This might be the first time In over forty years that I have not been on the air. It's a weird feeling, but I am so focused on helping where I can on the ground here. Not all of those who survived the West Maui wild fires had home insurance, car insurance or medical insurance and this is not about telling them they needed it, even when it wasn't affordable. It's about helping them. </strong>
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<div><strong>The horrible scenarios of what has been shared with me one on one of what has happened to people and the sad death toll that continues to climb is overwhelming. Nearly everyone I know lost their homes. People I grew up with, work with and family. Our entire home town is nearly gone.</strong>
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<div><strong>Mahalo Nui Loa for your kōkua. We are Lāhainā Strong. We are Maui Strong. ﻿</strong>
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<div><strong>Much Love and Aloha,</strong>
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<div><strong>Michael McCartney</strong>
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Alan Wolstencroft

Michal John

Anonymous

Alfred Chan

Michael Clark

Michael Mitsch

Teri Garrison

Lauren Neal

Caroline Arena

Christina Linhardt

Timothy Ross

June Davies

Maureen Pescaia

Lāhainā Emergency Relief for West Maui

Lāhainā Emergency Relief for West Maui

Still $965,488 to go. Help us build momentum.