Maui visitor industry delivers 16,800 pounds of rice for the holidays

The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association delivered 16,800 pounds of rice throughout Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi for the Thanksgiving Holiday. This year marked the 30th Annual Turkey & Rice Holiday Gifting event.

Starting on Saturday, Nov. 18 MHLA members boarded a charter in partnership with Triology Excursions as they helped to deliver 850 turkey and rice bags to the Lānaʻi Recreation Center.

In 2008, MHLA began contributing 5-pound rice bags to families at the event. Since then, the holiday gifting expanded to include other partnerships throughout the visitor industry.

Every year, following the Lānaʻi distributions, Young Brothers and Molokaʻi Island Foundation distribute rice to the Molokaʻi community while Feed My Sheep and Hāna-Resort distribute rice on Maui.

“Being able to partner with our members to bring holiday cheer to our county is such a joy,” said Lisa Paulson, Executive Director of MHLA. “This event really shows how our industry cares about the community.”

The visitor industry participates in many community year-round giving events in addition to the Rice for the Holidays event. This December, MHLA is sponsoring the nonprofit,  Maui Nui Resource Council, through another Trilogy Excursion event, the Blue ʻĀina Reef Clean-Up in addition to the annual Nā Kupuna Appreciation Event.