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Me Ka Mahalo Piha: ʻOhana Waʻa Concludes Lahaina Relief Fundraising

ʻOhana Waʻa


Lahaina has always been, and remains today, an anchor within our Hawaiian voyaging community. Crew members, captains and navigators central to the story of modern deep sea voyaging call Lahaina home, as have their families, for multiple generations.  When the August 2023 wildfire devastated Lahaina and sent shockwaves throughout our entire community, ʻOhana Waʻa came together as we always do, in support of one another. 


As a voyaging ʻohana, we care for each other.  In training and at sea, we know what it is to put our lives in each others’ hands.  That kind of bond lives deep within us on and off the deck of the canoe. In the hours after the fire, crew members throughout the islands mobilized to meet the call from our ʻohana in Lahaina - ferrying in supplies, working shoulder to shoulder in the impact zone, and raising funds to support the victims. ʻOhana Waʻa, as a nonprofit entity, met a critical need, providing the back-end structure that allowed for donations of time and financial resources to be routed quickly and directly to the voyaging families and canoe organizations who needed them. 



We were humbled to gather support from across our islands and our ocean to fuel the leadership of our captains, navigators and crew members in Lahaina as they embraced and led the recovery efforts for their community.  They ran logistics for critical supply distribution systems; established a vibrant hub for community safety, well-being and resources; cared for the keiki of Lahaina; led the community and participated in a 5,000-person march of mourning and unity, with our waʻa offshore; began the long process to rebuild the precious canoe that was lost in the fire; and so much more.  



The work continues today, and we are grateful for the extraordinary acts and deep aloha of our Lahaina leaders, and for everyone's donations which have supported the following three goals of our Lahaina voyaging community:



Resident Recovery - Specific asks of needed supplies and services that were used immediately to service a community in crisis, and eventually assistance in the replacement of home goods, vehicles, clothing, work tools, etc. that were lost to the fire.




Community Building - Supporting the community re-arising within its vision, after which it can return to actively being such an integral part of the voyaging community (including resources for classrooms, food gardens, and training and voyaging waʻa).



Travel - Support for the Lahaina voyaging community to participate in and support events, meetings and collaborations in support of Lahaina's recovery, and to support those families that needed to temporarily move off of Maui while their home was rebuilt.


While ʻOhana Waʻa continues to support the recovery efforts of our Lahaina ʻohana in various ways, our short-term fundraising efforts have officially concluded. Mahalo nui loa to every individual, ʻohana, and organization across the globe who contributed; your support has made a meaningful impact on our community’s progress.


Photo Credit: Naʻalehu Anthony
Photo Credit: Naʻalehu Anthony



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