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Nearly a week after fires broke out on the island of Maui, and most notably in Lahaina, Long Island residents are doing what they can to help support the thousands of people affected by the tragedy.
The death toll from the fires, which broke out on Tuesday, Aug. 8 and spread quickly via the wind and extremely dry conditions, has risen to 96, making it the deadliest US wildfire in over 100 years.
Many more are still missing.
Those who didn’t lose their lives may have lost everything else – many of the GoFundMe pages started by Long Islanders are meant to raise money for family members who were only able to escape with the clothes on their backs.
Others have different ties to Maui, whether it be through surfing or other hobbies, but one common thread remains through the fundraisers: that even from thousands of miles away, the tragedy that has struck the Hawaii island has broken the hearts of many.
The following fundraisers, all from Long Island residents, are active and accepting donations as of publication.
- “Humanitarian relief” by Luis MoralesMorales, a DJ from Lindenhurst, calls Maui his “second home”, as he spent the last two decades working there as a DJ and has made friends on the island that have now lost their homes. To return their gift of friendship, Morales is raising money to help provide them with daily essentials, like food and clothing.
- “HELP Maui OHANA” by Zachary Delaisne-Puglisi, who also calls Maui his “second home.” Delaisne-Puglisi wants to provide as much aid to as many people as possible in the town of Lahaina, a historic site that was hit the hardest by the fires. “Many of my Friends/Family/People who I met, Lost everything. This was one of the Most Historic Places in Hawaii where many generations of Hawaiin Families,” he wrote. Donations will go to local charities in Lahaina to provide clothes, diapers, water, medical supplies, and more.
- “Ohana Family Fire Support” by Gina Giegerich, a Mastic resident with a personal connection to the Maui wildfires: Her father, sister, brother, and niece, who live on the island, were impacted directly. Though her kin was able to evacuate just in time, she said, “the only thing they had time to take was the clothes on their back. They lost their housing, car, clothes, and everything in between.” She is now imploring the community to help her assist her family in getting back on their feet. “Family means everything to me,” she wrote. “Being that I live in NY it is difficult to see this happen at a distance and not be there in person with them.”
- “Reader Family Members Lost Homes in Maui Fire” by Damon Reader, who resides in Hampton Bays, set up this GoFundMe to assist his family members, who live on Maui and similarly lost everything to the fires as they tore through Lahaina. His goal is to help the two families get settled again.
- "Matthew Smith Maui Disaster Relief Fund" by Jonna Smith-Gall, a resident of Sag Harbor, was set up while the family waits to hear from Matthew. A surfer and devout Christian who moved to the island over 25 years ago, Smith-Gall describes him as "the least materialistic person." Nonetheless, he has lost everything, and now his family wants to help him rebuild his life.
- "Palacio - Baniqued Family Maui Fire Relief" by Marian Cerisier from Lynbrook, hopes to help her nine family members, including her aunts, uncle, and their children. Cerisier wrote that the fires "decimated their house, pets, belongings, and tools for their livelihoods. Everything turned into ashes." The family is now in a safe place, and Cerisier hopes to be able to raise money to help them rebuild from scratch.
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