#Lynne Benioff

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., today announced the Lahaina HERO Awards, a new initiative aimed at recognizing the extraordinary resilience and dedication of Department of Education (DOE) employees who have played a critical role in keeping Lahaina schools open following the devastating wildfires on Maui last year. HERO stands for Honoring Employees’ Resilience and Optimism in serving Lahaina students in spite of the challenges presented by the wildfires.

In exchange for two years of full-time service in Hawaiʻi, high-demand healthcare professionals will qualify for loan repayments up to a maximum of $50,000 per year. The eligible amount varies depending on the profession, location of practice, and educational indebtedness.

In one of the largest philanthropic donations of its kind in Hawaiʻi, 282 acres was donated in Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island for affordable housing.

The Benioffs are one of the Department’s largest independent funders, having made in total more than $2.5 million in donations through DonorsChoose, benefiting 265 Hawai‘i public schools. So far, the Benioffs’ donations have supported 3,000 teachers and fulfilled 4,800 teacher requests.