Pilina Relief - Day 19 - True Collaboration
August 28, 2023
Aloha all,
Today we flew over the last load of donations that Paradise Helicopters received (at least of those items that the people of Maui are telling us they need at this time). But, like the name Pilina implies, we are collaborating with so many others on how to help. Mauna Loa Helicopters still has donations to go and our great friends on the Kona Shuttle arrived yesterday and brought with them pallets full of donations from generous folks on the mainland. We were able to pick up a couple of truckloads today and stage it in the Tropicbird Flight Service hangar. Tomorrow a few of us general aviation (GA) pilots will be back in the skies in the early morning bringing those fresh donations to the folks in West Maui during the best weather conditions. The trade winds are expected to begin strengthening tomorrow and the NOAA reports are looking like high fire weather concerns Wednesday afternoon through Thursday (low humidity and strong trades). That’s not meant to scare anyone but as a reminder for us all to think about how we may be able to best prepare our own homes and communities. (Let’s also remember that I’m no meteorologist…just a pilot still learning how to read the winds and interpret weather patterns. ☺)
Thank you all for your continued support. It seems to make a big difference to the people we encounter in Maui that they know we haven’t forgotten them. The news cycles will soon change but to me, it seems the needs are as strong today as they were 3 weeks ago when this tragedy all unfolded.
How can you help?
1. You can help keep us general aviators and small aviation companies flying by making monetary donations to the Pilina Relief Fund page.
2. No changes in the donation distribution hubs requests so here they are again:
· can openers (a lot of non-perishable food has been donated but they don’t have enough can openers for that food),
· 5-gallon water bottles (many places in west Maui still don’t have safe drinking water. The water is being used to bathe with, cook with, and stay hydrated with so they are going through our water quickly. The 5-gallon bottles allow them to refill them once water refill stations are available),
· Batteries (of all kinds but AA and AAA are very helpful to keep radios going)
· baby formula & bottles
· Men’s & women’s undergarments (may I remind you that these should be new and not used ☺)
· A few hand trucks/dollies (to assist the hubs with moving all of the supplies around at the airport and then at the hubs).
· Pots/pans – people have been trucking propane to West Maui so some folks have the ability to cook but they can use pots & pans to do that. Your donations don’t need to be brand new but please ensure they are clean and sanitary.
Paradise Helicopters will be accepting donations of the above-named items. They are located at the Kona airport commuter terminal. If you aren’t on the big island please feel free to reach out to Mokulele, your local flight schools, or anyone around the airports. I’d bet they know how your generous donations can make their way to the donation hubs. And if you want to know what hubs our donations are going to, they are listed on the Pilina Relief page. Please direct anyone you know in West Maui who can use a little something to go to any of those hubs.
3. Feel free to patronize some of the amazing organizations who are collaborating with us to help: Paradise Helicopters offers amazing tours around most of the major Hawaii Islands, Mauna Loa Helicopter School for those of you who want to learn to hover, Tropicbird Flight Services (fixed wing - that’s airplanes for the non-aviation folks - flight school) where I did my training and Mokulele Airlines (our local island hopper, for those of you not in Hawaii). I’m happy to add Pacific Flight Academy in Honolulu to the list of collaborators. A big mahalo to some local restaurants who have donated pilot meals: Willies Hot Chicken and Taylored Meals. We already all love Punaluu Bake Shop goods but remember to pick up another loaf next time you’re at the market. Same with Lone Palm…I love their alfalfa sprouts on my salads and sandwiches. Grab yourself a bag to support this wonderful farm! Hawaii Farming (grab your keiki cukes next time you’re at Costco) and the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council for always wanting to help feed Hawaii. And a continued mahalo to the Hawaii Food Basket for assisting us with the donation collection and for all of the wonderful work they do in feeding the people of Hawaii regardless of natural disasters!
Mahalo to you all for staying Hawaii Strong! Maui Strong! Lahaina Strong!
Dana