Kamaʻāina Loan hosts ʻukulele giveaway to wildfire survivors from Lahaina schools

Santa Claus—in the guise of longtime Maui businessman Richard Dan—gave away hundreds of ʻukulele on Saturday to children at Lahaina schools who lost their homes in the August wildfires.

“Over the years, I have bought and sold thousands of ʻukulele,” said Dan, owner of Kamaʻāina Loan and Cash For Gold in Wailuku for over 40 years. “On Maui, they are like comfort food. When you feel happy, you want to play the ʻukulele. When you are sad, you want to play the ʻukulele. I cannot replace the homes that were destroyed, but my friends in the pawn industry — here and on the Mainland — can replace a lot of the ʻukulele.”

Dan, long active in the Hawaiʻi Pawnbrokers Association, put out the word through the National Pawnbrokers Association. With a starting donation from Kamaʻāina Loan, and further pledges, he was able to get a bulk discount and concessios on shipping. 

As a result, he had more than 400 ʻukulele to distribute to Lahaina school children.

The distribution was held Saturday, Dec. 16 at Hanakaʻōʻō Beach Park with help from teachers at Sacred Hearts, Punana Leo and Kamehameha III.

Parents brought school children to the park, where Santa (also known to his customers as Big Rich) distributed the instruments. Efforts to generate funds for more gift ʻukulele continue.

“You saw the stories, you saw the pictures of the devastated neighborhoods,” said Dan. “It was shocking. In almost every burned house, there was an ʻukulele, maybe several. Rebuilding is a huge challenge, and I wondered what Big Rich could do. And I thought, I can do ʻukuleles.”