Governor Ige Visits Maui’s 2nd Kōkua Puna Drive

June 11, 2018, 2:45 PM HST

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Hawaiʻi Governor David Ige stopped by Maui’s Kōkua Puna donation drive over the weekend, sharing donations of his own and words of appreciation for volunteers.

Organizers collected food, water, camping gear and pet supplies for evacuees on the Big Island affected by the ongoing Kīlauea eruption.

The donation drive was the second held on Maui in response to the escalating conditions faced by evacuees.

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“We are grateful for the generosity of Young Brothers for waiving the shipping cost and to A&B, Quick Tow and Na’auao Traffic Control for their support. This second drive for Puna is a result of evacuees and community organizations on Hawai’i Island reaching out for kokua” said Mahina Martin, one of the drive’s organizers. “We needed to move quickly to once again help with escalating conditions happening in Puna and the fact that these companies didn’t hesitate made such a difference.”

According to co-organizer Tiare Lawrence the 20 ft container will be shipped to Hilo to nonprofit Food Basket Hawai’i who will coordinate distribution to various grassroots organizations working on the frontlines, including to Hawai’i Lava Flow Animal Rescue Network.

Martin, Lawrence and Zeke Kalua who last month combined separate efforts to organize a shipment of a 20 ft container to Kaua’i following a flood disaster, also led a drive in response to Puna evacuations two weeks later. “When we held the donation drive for Puna just a few weeks ago, we saw how much Maui cared,” said Kalua. “People gave what they could and every donation mattered. We filled up the shipping container and sent it to Hawai’i Island knowing that it was going to make a difference.”