Maui Mile 13 -Help Families Impacted by Maui Fire

On Tuesday night, August 8, 2023, my brother texted our family group text from West Maui, where he lives with his wife - it was 10:23 pm in California. He wanted us to know they were safe in case we had heard about the fire in Lahaina. This was the first hint we had that there was something wrong on the island. We spent the night waiting by our phones for updates and searching the internet for any news - we were fortunate to hear from them.

On Wednesday morning, the scope of the devastation would only begin to become clear. The people of Lahaina were waking up to a world that had changed in the blink of an eye. Lives lost, houses destroyed, a town so ravaged as to be almost unrecognizable - the devastation was and is incomprehensible. Maui needs our help.

Every year I run the Manhattan Beach 10k, and this year my goal is to raise as much as possible by the end of the race on October 7, 2023. The money raised will go directly to families impacted by the fires on August 8. The recovery has been likened to a marathon, not a sprint, and, for some, the hardest mile is the middle - around mile 13 - when the crowds are thin and you just can’t see the finish line. The funds we raise here will be used to help give a boost to families, friends and acquaintances who we have met over the years on Maui who were impacted by the fires. This money is for the little things we take for granted, but that help get us through the day-to-day: a dinner out, a holiday gift, books, new pots and pans, art supplies, the small items that make life feel normal. I’ve never done anything like this before and I’m asking for your trust that 100% of the proceeds will be given to local, year round families who have been impacted by the Maui wildfires as they rebuild their lives.

Today, friends and acquaintances on the island are trying to make sense of their world now and in the future. An entire town and countless souls have been lost. Lahaina Town was the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii from 1802-1845, it is a spiritual place and home to the US’ oldest Banyan tree.

It was also full of family stories: births, deaths, marriages, and family histories. So much more has been lost than just the physical.

My brother and his wife are back on Maui supporting their adopted community. Together, we will make sure the funds go to the families impacted by the August 8 fire who need help and don’t have anyone to cheer them on at the midpoint - this is a chance for you to directly make an impact as families begin to rebuild. The funds will be used to purchase gift certificates to Maui businesses and gift cards - both will be given directly to families who are Maui year-round residents and were impacted by the fires that are friends and acquaintances of my brother and his wife. I will be responsible for purchasing the gift certificates and gift cards and will update here as we distribute them - depending on the families' wishes around privacy.

Maui holds a special place in my heart; my family has been visiting Maui for over 50 years, making friends and memories. From the first moment my 6-month-old toes touched the sand on Napili beach to subsequent years, Maui has been home for me, not the home where I live, but my heart and soul home - my north star. West Maui is what I dream of at night and what I picture when someone says, “think of your happy place.” The island has given so much to all of us that I need to give back…and I’m asking for your help.

This is a marathon, not a sprint. If you know people on Maui, if you have visited Maui, or if Maui is on your list to visit, please donate. No amount is too small.

Please help Maui

Mahalo Nui Loa