{"id":2002043,"date":"2023-08-16T02:29:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-16T06:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flotilla-of-volunteers-steps-up-to-deliver-vital-supplies-to-victims-of-maui-wildfires\/"},"modified":"2023-08-16T02:32:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T06:32:34","slug":"flotilla-of-volunteers-steps-up-to-deliver-vital-supplies-to-victims-of-maui-wildfires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flotilla-of-volunteers-steps-up-to-deliver-vital-supplies-to-victims-of-maui-wildfires\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteers rush to deliver crucial supplies to Maui wildfire victims."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fflotilla-of-volunteers-steps-up-to-deliver-vital-supplies-to-victims-of-maui-wildfires%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2002043&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Bringing Hope and \u2063Support\u2062 to Lahaina: The Volunteer Relief Effort<\/h2>\n<p>LAHAINA,\u2064 Hawaii\u2014Gone were the usual tourists and snorkel divers waiting\u200b to board the Lani Kai II, a 53-foot commercial boat\u200c moored at \u200dSlip 64\u200c at Buzz&#8217;s Wharf on the tiny Hawaiian island of Maui.<\/p>\n<p>On today&#8217;s mission, there would be no casual sightseeing on deck, no carefree basking in the white-hot \u200bHawaiian\u2063 sun on the way to resort\u2062 paradise up the blue coastline on the western side of Maui.<\/p>\n<p>Today&#8217;s mission was all about\u2062 mercy and support for the desperate survivors of last week&#8217;s Lahaina wildfire\u200b disaster that \u2062claimed 99 lives, with more fatalities expected to come.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/they-were-alone-in-a-fight-to-survive-maui-residents-had-moments-to-make-life-or-death-choices-5466268\">They Were Alone \u200bin a Fight to Survive; Maui Residents Had Moments to Make Life-or-Death Choices<\/a> (8\/15\/2023)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/hawaii-works-to-identify-99-confirmed-dead-after-maui-wildfires-as-teams-intensify-search-5466558\">Hawaii Works to Identify 99\u200d Confirmed Dead in Maui Wildfires as Teams \u2062Intensify Search<\/a> (8\/15\/2023)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/ntd-good-morning-aug-15-georgia-grand-jury-indicts-former-president-trump-in-2020-election-case-hundreds-missing-in-maui-5465976\">NTD Good Morning \u2062(Aug. 15): Georgia Grand Jury\u200c Indicts Former President Trump in\u200c 2020 Election Case; Hundreds Missing on Maui<\/a> (8\/15\/2023)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>On Aug. 12, the volunteer pickup trucks\u200c arrived \u2064almost\u2064 nonstop on that\u00a0bright Saturday morning to deliver piles\u2064 of donated supplies to\u2062 be loaded onto the Lani Kai II.<\/p>\n<p>The word Lani Kai means &#8220;heavenly waters&#8221; in Hawaiian. But \u2062on today&#8217;s 20-mile voyage, the devastation in Lahaina would\u2063 appear hellish \u2062from miles\u200b offshore.<\/p>\n<p>The 15 volunteers who would make this mission possible were as\u200b diverse\u200c as they were ready to help: young and old, men and women, seasoned seafarers, and everyday folk.<\/p>\n<p>Various media members were also on hand \u2064to lend a strong back in \u200bexchange for passage and a rare chance to\u200c witness community devotion to a selfless cause: helping others.<\/p>\n<p>The Lani Kai II was one of the dozens of private vessels that joined in the volunteer \u2064relief \u2064effort \u200bsince the devastating Aug. 8 fire, said lead captain Spencer Erwin, who goes \u2062by the informal title &#8220;Captain Spence.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mr.\u200b Erwin said the sheer\u2062 volume \u2062of donated items pouring in from the community has been overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>In support of the \u2062relief \u2063effort, \u2062the Lani \u2064Kai II&#8217;s \u2063corporate owner, Maui Snorkeling, \u200braised $10,280 in donations for the Maui Food Bank \u2063to\u200b provide 40,000 meals. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flotilla-of-volunteers-step-up-to-deliver-vital-supplies-to-victims-of-maui-wildfires\/\" title=\"Volunteers rush to deliver crucial supplies to Maui wildfire victims.\">company immediately suspended tours<\/a> \u200cfollowing a \u200ccharity trip on\u200d Aug. 11 to raise funds\u200d for \u200dthe relief effort,\u2062 according to Maui Snorkeling spokesman Dave Oates.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our \u200bintent from the start was to charter an excursion with people who already paid for the trip and donate 100 percent of the proceeds to\u200b the Maui Food \u200bBank,&#8221; Mr. Oates told The\u2064 Epoch Times.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We also offered our \u2063vessel throughout the week to authorities to deliver supplies and rescue people, but its design wasn&#8217;t appropriate for the task.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Oates said Maui\u2063 Snorkeling used \u200bpaid staff to help\u2063 stock the incoming boats. \u200dThe company also donated supplies, which \u2063were trucked into Lahaina by employees when \u2062the \u200croads opened.<\/p>\n<p>The ground rules for the volunteers aboard the Lani Kai II\u2062 on Aug. 12 were \u200csimple: work \u2063hard, work fast,\u200c and always keep both feet\u2062 on deck and a hand on the rail while \u2062in transit.<\/p>\n<p>Like a machine,\u2064 the volunteers worked eagerly, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flotilla-of-volunteers-steps-up-to-deliver-vital-supplies-to-victims-of-maui-wildfires\/\" title=\"Volunteers rush to deliver crucial supplies to Maui wildfire victims.\">grabbing heavy plastic \u200dbags filled<\/a> with supplies\u2014food, water, diapers, clothing, and other essentials\u2014off \u200dtrucks and passed them in fire brigade fashion onto the Lani Kai\u2064 II.<\/p>\n<p>Brent Iovino of\u200c Maui, originally from Chicago, gave up a day of base jumping to assist in the\u2062 effort since there\u200c was no time for &#8220;selfish&#8221; pursuits while the\u2062 need was so great in Lahaina.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is\u200c catastrophic. I think the first responders have done everything they could,&#8221; Mr. Iovino said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The key right \u2062now is we need to get supplies \u2064and information to people on \u200dthe west\u200d side [of Lahaina].\u200c It&#8217;s amazing but expected for this community. Anything that&#8217;s required, we step up.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>At about noon, the Lani Kai II was laden with supplies \u200dand ready to embark on the\u200c two-hour journey and rendezvous with the Sea Maui,\u200d a 65-foot catamaran capable\u2063 of landing on shore.<\/p>\n<p>The journey would take the Lani \u2064Kai II\u2063 past thousands \u200bof burned acres in Lahaina, past the\u200c hotels,\u2062 bars,\u200c and restaurants\u2014once bustling with tourists but now eerie and silent.<\/p>\n<p>In\u2062 the\u2063 distance, \u200dthe\u200b Sea Maui was ready to hook up with the Lani Kai \u2062II and receive its vital cargo. Volunteers would then offload the supplies to other volunteers gathered on Kaanapali Beach in West\u200b Maui, a few miles north of Lahaina.<\/p>\n<h2>Many Boats, Much\u200c Work<\/h2>\n<p>Molly Gaughan, captain of\u200d the \u2062Sea Maui, said the company that \u2064owns the vessel permitted the use of the boat &#8220;in\u200b any way we needed.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The twin-pontoon catamaran can \u2063hold 49 passengers and &#8220;triple\u200b the amount&#8221; of goods \u200cof\u200d the \u200cLani Kai II.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We still have the entire cabin going,&#8221; Ms.\u00a0Gaughan said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;There&#8217;s a lot \u200cof small private boats. I&#8217;m not exactly sure of the number. All the big \u2064beach cats [catamarans] can get onto \u2062the beach. Everybody has been helping.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Power outages \u200dand lack of cellphone\u200c and internet service\u200d make coordinating relief efforts &#8220;absolutely crazy,&#8221;\u00a0Ms. Gaughan said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a \u2063lot of\u2063 word of mouth and coordinating with\u200b someone on the other side that\u200d does have service. It&#8217;s all about \u200cperfect timing,&#8221; she said. \u200d&#8221;We lost power before the fires even \u2062started.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Gaughan said the grim aftermath of the Lahaina wildfire also isn&#8217;t for the squeamish.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve seen \u2063some stuff\u2014yeah,&#8221; \u2064she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s terrible. You can&#8217;t unsee it. From my\u2062 understanding, \u200cthere\u2063 wasn&#8217;t enough warning. It was faster than people could get out. It was terrible.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t recommend it [seeing the carnage]. You can&#8217;t get into the town \u200canymore. [The police] are arresting people now. They&#8217;re coming in and looting. They&#8217;re\u200b doing dumb stuff to put it on \u200dthe\u2064 internet.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Everybody&#8217;s got more security\u2014it&#8217;s scary. It&#8217;s \u2062scary times over here.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>With volunteers working continuously for days,\u00a0Ms. Gaughan said she&#8217;s nearly\u2062 exhausted, &#8220;but we&#8217;re here, and we&#8217;re helping.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I can&#8217;t leave my people\u2014my \u2064community\u2014this place means so much to me,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>What about sleep?<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Oh, a few hours here and \u2064there in \u2062the night,&#8221; Ms. Gaughan said, mindful \u2064of the \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-israeli-official-hamas-can-surrender-or-well-hunt-down-every-commander-every-post-until-we-win\/\" title=\"Top Israeli Official: Hamas Can Surrender, Or \u2018We\u2019ll Hunt Down Every Commander, Every Post, Until We Win\u2019\">mounting death toll<\/a> and growing need for volunteers and material assistance.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s hard to get any news. It&#8217;s going to take a while to rebuild our\u2063 city. We&#8217;ll see how long everybody can last \u200buntil\u200c everybody has to leave.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Finding \u2062enough fuel to power the flotilla remains a challenge, with gasoline in short supply. Occasionally, \u200ca private boat would pass the Sea \u2064Maui, offering gas to continue \u2064its mission if needed.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We have no gas over here,&#8221; Ms. Gaughan said. &#8220;There are cars on the \u200dside of the road with no gas. It&#8217;s craziness. But it looks\u2064 like we need to \u2062get this\u2062 party started.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Sea Maui slid onto the beach like a canoe as volunteers onshore finished offloading supplies from the Ocean Spirit, a sister catamaran.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Let&#8217;s\u200b just spread this out\u2014we got this!&#8221;\u200d Ms. Gaughan shouted.<\/p>\n<p>Hand over hand, the precious cargo left the Sea Maui and made its way \u200cup the line of volunteers to a staging area. From \u200cthere, volunteers loaded the supplies onto pickup trucks \u200bfor distribution to shelters for displaced fire victims.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s just the community \u2063getting together, trying to make\u200c everything happen,&#8221; said Lani Kai II relief captain Larry Doty.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Everybody is heartbroken. It&#8217;s a lot to lose. There&#8217;s a lot of \u200cp<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LAHAINA, Hawaii\u2014No tourists or snorkelers at Slip 64, Buzz&#8217;s Wharf. The Lani Kai II, a 53-foot boat, departed Maui without its usual passengers. Today&#8217;s mission excluded leisurely deck sightseeing or sunbathing under the scorching Hawaiian sun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":294,"featured_media":2002044,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2002043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2002043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/294"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2002043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2002043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2002044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2002043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2002043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2002043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}