LOVE THE SEA
Fire Relief
MATCHED
BY THE GIVING BLOCK
ONE YEAR AFTER THE MAUI WILD FIRE
Above: The community coming together one year after this unprecedented event.
August 8th, 2023, is a day that will forever be etched in our memories. Wildfires devastated Maui, burning the entire ocean side town of Lahaina and much of up country Kula. The true magnitude of the fires was difficult to grasp, until shocking images surfaced the following morning, revealing the destruction of our beloved island.
Over the past decade, Love the Sea has cultivated deep ties and relationships on Maui, especially within Lahaina. Before disappearing overnight, our small town hosted over 3 million tourists annually and was home to 10,000+ residents. The tragedy and impact was felt deeply around the world, our small island community of Maui was irrevocably changed forever.
LOVE THE SEA TRANSPORTED BY BOAT,
ABOUT 30,000LBS OF GOODS TO THOSE STRANDED BY THE FIRE.
Yet, in the face of such overwhelming loss, our entire island community responded with an extraordinary outpouring of support. In life where social perspectives often differ, all barriers to love and support suddenly vanished. Recognizing Love the Sea had some of the resources and skills to aid a community cut off by road access, our crew set up a drop station to transport emergency supplies and essential medical care by ocean from the Kahului and Maalaea Harbors to the West Side. The response and the generosity of supplies were overwhelming. In just one week, with help from Pacific Millworks trucking supplies when roads were open, we estimate that 80,000lbs of goods were staged and transported to those stranded by the fire. We are deeply grateful to everyone who rallied in support and for the generous flow of donations that came to Love the Sea for the Maui fire victims
DISBURSEMENT OF REMAINING FUNDS
On the anniversary of the fires, with generous donations from individuals local & worldwide, the founders of Ocean Aid, Broke Da Mouth and a generous matching fund from The Giving Block, Love the Sea is now proud to distribute $80,000 dollars of donations to the following:
1 - LAHAINALUNA HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION : $30,000
Restoring Roots: Lahainaluna High School takes steps toward replanting Lahaina with help from volunteers.
Donations came in from supporters of Broke Da Mouth, a music and food festival held November 8th 2023, in Las Vegas, Hawaii’s 9th Island.
The event supported by LTS founders Ava and Carlos Adley was lead by Chris Mahon, a Lahaina local who inspired many friends and family to unite for a grass roots event created to provide financial aid to Lahainaluna High School Foundation in favor of the Ag program for reforestation and growing food.
More information here
Sharing the process between generations.
Sharing the process between generations.
2 - REGENERATIVE EDUCATION CENTER : $25,000
Located on the edge of Lahaina the regenerative education center is working towards a brighter,
more resilient future for our community.
Program Overview and Objectives:
The Maui Wildfire Recovery Program is a dynamic program that focuses on addressing both the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by the Lahaina fires.
Our goal is to provide essential resources, innovative solutions, and collaborative efforts to rebuild and strengthen our community:
- Regenerative Infrastructure, off-Grid Tiny Homesteads
- Regenerative Agriculture to Feed Displaced People and Create Food Security
Off-Grid Tiny Homesteads
Eddy Garcia Founder (left) & family
3 - KULA COMMUNITY WATERSHED ALLIANCE : $15,000
The Kula Fire Restoration Project: Regenerating the burned lands of Pōhakuokalā, Kula.
Since August 2023, the Alliance has consistently convened the fire-affected community of Kula to keep an open dialogue and to learn together the best way to move forward.
The Kula Community Watershed Alliance was founded by those stewards with a shared vision to “Mālama Awāwa O Kula” – nurture the valleys and gulches of Kula, and in so doing, nurture the well-being of our communities, too.
Love The Sea is supporting this important effort because we know that all that happens on land ends up in the Ocean.
More information here
4 - MAUI LONGEVITY RX : $10,000
A healing journey:
Donations were made in direct support of medical treatments provided by Dr. Emily Loren, ND and her team at Maui Longevity Rx that were delivered by ocean to the communities cut off by the fire. Dr. Loren and her team provided critical prescription medications such as insulin and heart medications to those who had lost everything in the fire in the immediate days following the disaster, as well as administered 900+ Nebulized Glutathione treatments for anyone who experienced toxic smoke and dust inhalation.
More information here
While we wish the fires had never occurred, we are truly grateful for the love and support that emerged as our island struggled in the aftermath of tragedy and disaster. At Love the Sea, we hope that our efforts have made a meaningful difference, helping to heal wounds and foster a bright future for the next generation. Our commitment to ocean advocacy, education, and supporting our children's future remains unwavering. We hope these donations will aid in the rebuilding of community and culture on Maui, in a way that honors what is pono for our keiki.
With your continued support, Love the Sea promises to move forward with our primary and collective mission. Please stay in touch, send us a message or visit us online to see our daily mission here in Hawai’i.
Mahalo & Aloha
Campbell Farrell
Photo Credits:
- danielsullivanphotography.com prints available with a portion of proceeds going to Lahaina community land trust
- Living earth systems
- Cultivate
- Illustration
- Rudy Castorina
- The Green Wave
