Lambda Chi Alpha Maui Relief Project

Words from Beau Johnston, a University of San Diego alum who was a member and officer of Lambda Chi Alpha who is from Lahaina, Maui: What happened to Lahaina on August 8th was absolutely devastating. It directly impacted every single resident of Maui, as Lahaina was the original capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom, and held a substantial amount of cultural significance in our community.

Lahaina was populated by 13,000 people, many were families who have been here for many generations. After visiting Lahaina post-fire, I have seen the town I grew up in reduced to ash and it is completely unrecognizable. Yes, my house burned down. Yes, my Mom’s car went up in flames. Yes, my Mom will be out of work for a while. None of that matters. We lost the place we considered our favorite place in the world. We lost the ability to bike down Front Street at sunset on a Friday and pop into our favorite restaurants to gather with friends. Families lost businesses they have been nurturing for over 100 years. Families lost pets. Families lost loved ones. Everyone lost something more meaningful than mere possessions. In all of this darkness, as we grieve the loss of the things we love most, our community has come together more than ever to support Lahaina. We have replaced our period of grieving with a call to action, and almost every person on the island has gone out of their way to help the community. We will rise out of the ashes and build an even better Lahaina together.

My family greatly appreciates any proceeds from this fundraiser. It will be a long road to recovery, both mentally and financially, and we will need all the help we can get. University of San Diego was my home away from home and it is so special to see my fellow Toreros band together to help from overseas. Aloha truly runs deep in USD’s tight-knit community. My family thanks you from the bottom of our hearts.