A burned car is seen at the Ho’onanea condominium complex, in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, Aug. 10, 2023. (OSV News photo/Jorge Garcia, Reuters)
By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
In the first three weeks after the Maui wildfires burned the town of Lahaina to the ground Aug. 8, donations to the Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation’s Maui Wildfire Relief fund surpassed $1 million.
As of Sept. 8, 4,455 gifts totaling $1,703,221.23 were given to wildfire relief and to Sacred Hearts School, the school of Maria Lanakila Parish in Lahaina.
The largest gifts were two donations of $100,000 from the national Knights of Columbus, one to the general Maui Wildfire Relief fund and one to Sacred Hearts School. The Diocese of St. Petersburg also gave $100,000 to the Maui general fund.
Two other donations totaling $80 were designated for the parish school.
The Hawaii Catholic Community Foundation, a non-profit organization the diocese established to aid parishes and schools, set up the Maui Wildfire Relief fund two days after the fire.
Most of the donations were made online at tinyurl.com/MauiCatholic.
“Most of the donations have come via the link on catholichawaii.org,” said Terra Jones, the development associate of the Diocesan Finance Office who is handling the donations.
“We have also received checks and I get emails and phone calls daily requesting our mailing address,” she said.
“We have donations from individuals, parishes, dioceses, organizations, businesses,” she said, coming from as far away as Germany, England and South Korea.
The largest donation from an individual has been $20,000. At least two have given that amount. The smallest gift was $3.
“The response has been absolutely amazing!” Jones said.