Nashville Aloha For Maui (Wildfire Relief)

To My Nashville Ohana (family),

My name is Heather Romero and I live here in Nashville, but I was born and raised on Maui. The devastating Maui wildfires that took place on August 8th have completely destroyed the beloved and historical town of Lahaina and parts of Upcountry. So far, the death toll has risen to 115 people (with almost 400 souls still missing) making this catastrophe the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history, and the deadliest natural disaster in the history of Hawaii. Losses are estimated to be $6 Billion, if not more. This is a national tragedy.

Thankfully, my family and friends are safe but some have lost everything. Although we are all still in utter shock, we are reminded now more than ever of how important it is to take care of one another, especially in times of hardship.

When the horrific Covenant School shootings happened back in March, a group of people from Hawaii flew here to Nashville to show their support to the families, students, and faculty with such a beautiful act of love that it literally brought tears to my eyes. Please watch/read this brief news report below. It will tug at your heart strings.

Hawaii Shows Love for Nashville

These are the kinds of hearts people of Hawaii have beating inside of us. It is our Hawaiian way to LOVE, and to GIVE. If any of you have been to Maui, or any island of Hawaii, I’m sure you learned and witnessed quite quickly just how kind, generous, welcoming and selfless the people of Hawaii are. It is part of our heritage, our “Aloha Spirit”, and our culture to malama (nurture) each other. When I moved to Nashville 10 years ago to pursue my love of music I realized that the same “Aloha Spirit” exists here amongst the people of Tennessee, through “Southern Hospitality”.

Now, my people of Maui desperately need our Country’s help. Whether you have a personal connection to Maui or if you barely know where it is on the map, from the bottom of my heart, I am kindly asking you to please support the people of this beautiful island. Thousands have lost everything – their homes, loved ones, pets, jobs, clothing, simple possessions and (in)valuables. These people are traumatized and must start their lives all over again from the ground up. It is simply unfathomable.

PLEASE join me in supporting this fundraising campaign. Every dollar helps!! No matter how small or how large, PLEASE consider making a donation to help sustain these precious people of Maui through this very long road to recovery, and preserve the history of this sacred island.

T-SHIRTS!

If you prefer to submit your donations by purchasing our Maui Rebuilt fundraising T-Shirt where 100% of the profits go to the Maui Strong/Hawaii Community Foundation please CLICK HERE!

All My Aloha,

Heather Romero