Rotary members honored with ‘Rising Phoenix’ award for contributing to Maui fire relief efforts

Leaders of the Rotary Clubs of Hawaiʻi District 5000 greeted nearly 70 participants for a virtual Zoom event. The session showcased the inspiring stories of the three Lahaina Rotary clubs and their remarkable journey following the fires that ravaged their community last year.

Leaders from the Rotary Clubs of Lahaina, Lahaina Sunrise, and Lahaina Sunset shared moving accounts and photos of their projects that provided crucial disaster relief and supported the recovery of their beloved town. Rick Nava, Skeeter Stebbins, Rachel Smith, and Katy Shroder recounted tales of resilience as their clubs spearheaded over 75 projects to assist fire survivors.

The Rotary District 5000 Foundation’s Maui Fire Relief effort has received a remarkable $3.3 million in donations, with $1 million already allocated for Immediate and Intermediate Fire Relief projects.

Maui Assistant Governors Wendy Hornack and Al Weiland detailed the selection process for past funded projects and discussed plans for funding long-term initiatives.

District Governor Ted Faigle then announced the recipients of the “Rising Phoenix” awards, honoring members of Maui Rotary Clubs for their exceptional contributions to the fire relief efforts. Among those recognized were Leah Harbottle, Mariko Higashi, Wendy Hornack, Liz May, Joanne Laird, Ann Neizman, and Soakai Taufa.

The event wrapped up with the launch of an online silent auction to support the 10 Rotary Clubs on Maui, who have faced challenges in fundraising due to ongoing projects and a lack of support from businesses impacted by the current circumstances. The auction will run until Sept. 14, offering a variety of items for bidding at https://www.32auctions.com/D5000Maui .

Attendee Jon Winston, Executive Secretary of the Rotary Club of Santa Cruz Sunrise, shared this message with the organizers: “Wow, that was an amazing presentation.   I, and the seven others from my club who attended, were seriously blown away by the descriptions of loss and more so with the tremendous skill, dedication, love, commitment, organization and leadership you and your fellow District 5000 Rotarians have brought to the recovery efforts.  I’m tempted to say I can’t believe the $3.3 million in donations were generated from Rotarians around the world, but now I believe it. I do.”