#Lauren Sanchez

The Maui County Council voted 8-0 Friday to confirm Jacky Takakura as planning director and 6-2 to appoint Margaret Willis as director of the Department of Human Concerns.

A blessing was held over the weekend to bring into service a new wildland firefighting apparatus for the Maui Fire Department. This vehicle is the first of a total of seven new firefighting apparatus being donated to the Maui Fire Department through a collective effort by the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Fund. The initiative is supported by the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s “Maui Strong Fund” as well as a contribution from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez.

Habitat for Humanity Maui announced it is the recipient of a $3 million donation from Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. This contribution, one of the largest in the organization’s history, will directly support Habitat Maui’s ongoing efforts to address Maui’s urgent need for affordable housing, especially in light of the recent wildfires and the worsening housing crisis on the island, organization leaders said.

The Hawai‘i Community Foundation announced a $2.128 million grant to the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation. The total award amount comprises $1 million from HCF’s Maui Strong Fund and $1.128 million donated by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez. The new trucks will have the ability to drive off-pavement, allowing crews to better reach wildfires early and prevent them from spreading.

A “Concert for Ukraine in the Maui Sunflowers” on Sunday, April 24, is sold out, but organizers say they are still taking donations to match philanthropists Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez who, together, will donate up to $50,000 to match funds raised as part of this event.

“Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sanchez, and Shep Gordon stopped by for a tour of the Food Bank,” said Marlene Rice, Development Director at the Maui Food Bank. “It was wonderful to meet Jeff, and we are very grateful for the generosity he has extended to Maui Food Bank and other nonprofits on Maui.”