ORLANDO, Fla. – UCF football player Lokahi Pauole said on Saturday that he donated some of his name, image and likeness money to Hawaii after several large, out-of-control wildfires broke out on the Hawaiian islands.
Western Maui, specifically the historic town of Lahaina, has been hit the hardest.
Pauole, who is from Oahu, said that he doesn’t have any immediate family in the affeted area, but “In Hawaii, we’re all family. Ohana is a real thing.”
The raging wildfire that swept through a picturesque town on the Hawaiian island of Maui this week has killed at least 89 people, authorities said Saturday, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire of the past century.
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It has turned a centuries-old hamlet beloved by travelers and locals alike into a charred, desolate landscape.
“It’s just a really sad day for the Hawaiian islands. Sad day for the county,” Pauole said after practice on Saturday. “It’s a tourist destination, a spot where everyone likes to visit.”
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The devastation has resonated worldwide in part because tourists from around the globe flock to Maui to enjoy its white sand beaches, including many who stop to visit the old whaling village and capital of the former Hawaiian kingdom.
“Don’t be afraid to donate. Don’t be afraid to help out,” Pauole said.
If you’d like to donate to the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong fund, you can click here.
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