Pilina Relief Fund - Day 14 - Still Going Strong
August 23, 2023
Aloha all,
If you’ve been reading these emails the last 14 days you know I’m very focused on assisting those affected by fires on Maui on 8/08. You’ve also heard me say that I don’t think we can sweep under the rug what we also faced here on the Big Island (and what could have been). I just saw this article written about my close personal friends and how their home and farm was threatened and affected that same day here in Waimea town. https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/big-island-farmers-held-back-a-fire-until-help-arrived-it-could-have-been-another-lahaina/. Folks assume that since structures weren’t burned the effects are minimal. While we’re all grateful nobody lost their home, lives, or livestock the financial impacts of replacing burned irrigation lines and fencing alone is in the tens of thousands of dollars. (That’s when you can get the supplies here.) Those pastures that were burned won’t be safe and usable for grazing again for potentially years. It’s not cheap to lease pasture lands when yours has been rendered unsafe.
I say that because I don’t want to lose sight of the severity of what happened here on 8/8 & 8/9 (and the subsequent flare-ups on that farm and others). I also say that because, while we’re rightly focusing on Lahaina we have to remember there has been a lot of pasture land that continually burned for a week after the Lahaina tragedy in Kula, Makawao, and other areas. Livestock feed was already challenging to keep on island and the cost of it has tripled since COVID started. With less pasture lands that means ranchers have to subsidize that feed by spending more on purchasing feed bags and hay. While we’re very focused on the human impact there is also a huge impact to agriculture as a result of these fires. That means medium and long-term challenges for the island and food sources.
As a member of the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, I was proud to see a call go out to the membership for the donation of animals to help bring fresh meat to Maui. A pretty significant amount of meat is being processed weekly to help feed folks in Maui. The Pilina Relief Fund is not able to assist with that transportation, as the amount is larger than our small aircraft can feasibly take, but it is making its way to Maui and being delivered fresh or frozen. I know my friends at Hawaii Farming, who make those delicious Keiki Cukes and Japanese cucumbers, donated a huge amount of their products. Farmers across Hawaii Island have donated and our aircraft smelled like the produce aisles at KTA. I know so many are giving all over the state so I wanted to start highlighting and thanking folks that I become aware of.
Back to the flying…
We were able to fly more food, toiletries, baby formula, and general supplies in today. As the day progressed the winds whipped up and got a little uncomfortable for us general aviators to keep flying. We had to call off some of the flights we’d hoped to get in. Thankfully Mokulele Airlines was still able to get in. With them, they brought another 8 generators in. (Totaling somewhere in the range of 35 at this point.) We asked our daily questions of the Maui Fire folks at the airport, the volunteers there helping to unload and the folks coordinating the community hubs if they are seeing outside help or feel we should stop. The answer was the same resounding “NO”. Outside assistance has still been slim and sporadic. The road into West Hawaii seemed to be open and there were some supplies entering but not nearly enough to meet the need. So, we continue…
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. We continue to rack up significant avgas and jet fuel bills and can really use your help with collecting additional monetary donations.
2. The donation distribution hubs said their current needs are: 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), toilet paper, 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). Mauna Loa Helicopters and Paradise Helicopters will be accepting donations of the above-named items tomorrow. 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 those of you who have stuck with me and the aviation community across the islands for these last couple of weeks. From day 1 the general aviation community and small aviation businesses listed above jumped in and freely began to help. If you haven’t been getting my updates it wasn’t anything personal. These daily emails started when the only real road to West Maui was closed and the small aviation community was the lifeline of support to West Maui (since larger aircraft can’t safely get into our out of Kapalua airport). Larger aircraft, like the Kona Shuttle also jumped in at the beginning and have been generous in sharing their donations and getting much larger amounts of supplies to Kahului. It has been my attempt to raise awareness of what’s occurred on Hawaii and Maui and how the community can and has helped using whatever skills, assets, time, or labor they’ve been able to help with. Pilina.
Please remain Hawaii Strong! Maui Strong! Lahaina Strong!
Mahalo plenty,
Dana