Emotional paddle out at Hanakaʻōʻō Beach Park draws 1,000 people on 2nd anniversary of the Maui wildfires

On Friday morning, two U.S. Coast Guard ships, four Maui-based catamarans, several Maui County ocean safety officers on jet skis and a helicopter above dropped flowers to remember the 102 known people who died in the Lahaina wildfire on Aug. 8, 2023.

Doves also were released during the emotional Kuhinia Maui paddle out at Hanakaʻōʻō Beach Park to mark the second anniversary of the tragedy.

About 350 people on the water scooped up and threw water into the air while more than 500 people watched from shore.

“Last year, I feel like a lot of us were in survivor mode, where this past year is the first time I was maybe slowing down a little bit more and really allowing myself to process things,” said Blake Ramelb, a 30-year-old Maui storyteller and filmmaker. “So when I was out on the paddle out, I just noticed emotions kind of coming out and I cried for a long time.”

That was a theme that was told by several people — the second anniversary of the devastation was a little better vibe than the feeling one year ago on the first anniversary paddle out.

“It felt really good this year,” Ramelb said. “I feel there is more momentum and things going on. It’s just a reminder that we’re a strong community and we’ve always come together in times like this.”

Before the paddle out, Na Leo Pilimehana played and Courtney Lazo, the lead organizer and the community services director for Lahaina Strong, delivered a message.

“The gist of my message was basically to let our community know that we see them,” she said. “We understand the challenges. I know it’s two years later and a lot of the help and a lot of the buzz around the Lahaina Fire has moved on. The world has moved on.”

Lazo lost her home in the fire and now lives in a tiny home on her family property with husband Jeff and their three sons. The family also lost their base yard, Jeff’s construction tools and a food truck they were about to open. 

The rebuild of their home is still ongoing as they “figure out the next step,” Lazo said.

She said Lahaina Strong is keeping watch on fire victims.

“It’s easy for the fire survivors to feel isolated and alone and like the world forgot about them,” Lazo said. “I just wanted to let them know that we see them.”

As the paddle out began, Ramelb was carrying boards for youngsters into the water, securing them atop and guiding them out past the shore break before turning around and doing it again.

“It’s just friends helping friends,” Ramelb said.

Lahaina Strong community group spokesperson Paele Kiakona said to the crowd: “I’m not happy this happened to us. But I’m happy that it didn’t happen to anybody else because I know this town, this community, the people are so strong and they’re willing to fight for one another, stand up and be there,” he said. “That’s what today is. It’s a reminder of that.”

Kim Ball, a member of the Mayor Bissen’s Lahaina Advisory Team for the fires, was in the crowd shortly after he returned from Nebraska to visit his 95-year-old mother. Ball and his wife Cindy just completed the rebuild of their home on Komo Mai Street.

“We got our keys last week; spent the first night in it last night,” Ball said. “It was kind of like old times, because I was snoring and my wife went and slept on the couch.”

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen was in attendance early in the day before attending other anniversry events at the Kalana O Maui building at noon in Wailuku and at the Lahaina Civic Center Amphitheater from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

“We don’t want anybody to be by themselves on days like this,” Bissen said. “We want them to be with their neighbors, their friends, their family, with us. And so these events bring people together, make people come together. And that’s what we want.”

Kīhei resident Victoria Moore was on the beach to watch the festivities with copies of her book “Big Hearts on a Little Island,” the uplifting story of the Maui community’s heroic response to the 2023 wildfires.

She had a couple copies left in her beach bag after the bulk of the 2,000 that were published have been sold for $45 apiece. All the proceeds are going to rebuild and restock the Lahaina Public Library that was destroyed in the fire.

“I interviewed 200 community helpers and really got a good glimpse into all the different ways that the community was stepping up to serve,” Moore said. “Last year I was volunteering up with the Kula hub. Last year was such a somber day. I just needed to get my hands dirty. 

“But this year I’m really glad that I came to the paddle out because I just … I wanted to be in community with everyone.”

Moore will be traveling to the Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., representing the state as the adult title book from Hawai’i on Sept. 6.

“I’m just delighted that we can share some of these incredible stories with the rest of the world,” Moore said. “I do think that other communities have a lot to learn from Lahaina and Kula and Maui in general about what it is to show community care, to be there for each other, and show so much love and aloha.”

Maui County Council member Tamara Paltin, who holds the West Maui residency seat, gave a message of hope as well, just prior to the paddle out.

“It’s a horrible thing that happened,” Paltin said. “Just know that we won’t ever stop fighting for you folks and working hard for you. So please, today of all the days, don’t be alone.”

Dino Rivera, a construction worker who was renting and living in a six-bedroom home off of Lahainaluna Road that burned in the fire, said he was “loving” the paddle out.

He said he just helped build a two-story house on Komo Mai Street.

“Everything’s for Lahaina,” he said. “We’re trying to help out homeowners. We’re not trying to make a big bonus off of people. We’re trying to help. My boss is not out there to make money.”

Ramelb lives in Napili and did not lose his home in the fire, but came to the paddle out to support the community. He said: “What’s really beautiful … is we all have our own version of this story and something that we went through, some worse off than others, but at the end of the day, we’re all here, we’re all together.”