Participants of today’s 19th Annual Lahaina Town Cleanup focus on ‘safe and accessible’ areas ‘wherever you are in the world’

Over the past 18 years, thousands of student and adult volunteers have come together to help clean up over 7 square miles of Lahaina Town from the beach to the highway, including two boat harbors, seven surf spots, and numerous parks with divers, students, parents and volunteers.

This year, efforts have been modified to ensure the safety of participants following the deadly wildfire that swept through the town last month, damaging and destroying more than 2,200 structures.

“This year we invite you to do a cleanup in an area that is safe and accessible to you – wherever you are in the world,” encourages Tambara Garrick, LahainaTown Action Committee Board Member, “Lahaina Town is currently closed but that doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact for the environment. Mahalo for your support and please stay safe. We can’t wait to see everyone next year for our 20^th Anniversary of this important community event.” 

The 19th Annual Lahaina Town Clean Up event is annually supported by Mālama Maui Nui’s “Get the Drift and Bag It!” campaign, in conjunction with The Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Clean Up Day. 

“Get the Drift and Bag It!” is an opportunity for residents and visitors alike to join in an effort to remove litter and debris from the coastal environment.

Considering the disaster affecting the island community Mālama Maui Nui has invited friends and partners to provide social, mental and physical health services at this event at Kahului Harbor. Volunteers are invited to join the cleanup, picking up litter in Central Maui between Kahului Harbor, the neighboring shoreline and peninsula from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and to say after for games and refreshments. 

The annual Lahaina Town Cleanup campaign is also a part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup month held annually in September. The ICC engages hundreds of thousands of volunteers each year to take action for the ocean and for the creatures that depend on it (including humans). Over its 30+ years of existence, approximately 17 million people have picked up some 350 million pounds of trash across more than 150 countries. 

Cleanup volunteers are requested to download and utilize the Clean Swell App to keep track of the debris removed during the cleanup. This data will be added to the International Coastal Cleanup’s marine debris database.

Results from the data help inform policy and debris removal efforts.  Please consider a donation to help fund the 20^th Anniversary of the Lahaina Town Clean Up which will be held in September 2024: visltlahaina.com/lahainatowncleanup. Love the Sea and the Ocean Conservancy are supporting the 2023 effort and have sponsored the official Lahaina Town Cleanup T-shirt.