Until news of the catastrophic wildfires raging in Maui on the evening of Tuesday, August 8 began to make its way across the state and nation, things at the MEDEX Kona campus were pretty much buzzing along as planned. Members of Kona Class 4 (KC4), the newest cohort of MEDEX Kona students, were several weeks into their summer coursework, gathering regularly at the Kona classroom for lectures, workshops, discussions and exams. They had just elected their class officers, not knowing just how quickly their newly assigned roles would be put to the test.
By the next day, members of Kona Class 4 were already working with Kona campus Coordinator Tori Agoot to respond to the unfolding crisis in Maui by organizing a food and materials drive for on-island donations, working with members of Kona Class 3 (KC3) to create an Amazon list for off-island donations, organizing air transport of the gathered items to the emergency response and support center King’s Cathedral Maui, and deciding on a team who would fly to Maui to help in whatever ways they could.
What follows is a series of emails received by the MEDEX Communications Team in Seattle reflecting the efforts on the ground in Kona from Wednesday, August 9 through Wednesday, August 16. We share these emails chronologically as a portrait of a community response.
Date: Wednesday August 9, 2023 @ 6:49pm
From: Tori Agoot (Kona Campus Program Coordinator)
Subject: Fires in Hawaii, K4 and Community
Aloha Jim,
In the midst of business as usual here, North Kona is on fire (brush fires), but our beloved neighboring island of Maui is being devastated by fire at a whole different level. Evacuations, total loss of old Lahaina town and lives. People being evacuated off the island, hotels, homes, businesses lost, and unaccounted for friends and family members. Preceptor clinics burnt to the ground with student clinical rotations starting in a few weeks.
In it all our Kona Class 4 is stepping up to help organize the collection of aid, organize it, connect with organizations in Maui, coordinate pick up of our freight shipment, and distribute it to families in need at their shelter. Kaleo Lee, Class 4 President, and the rest of his elected team are organizing the efforts with me as their Staff Advisor. I’ve included him here if you would like to connect with him and hear about their efforts.
I’m sure you will see it on the news.
Aloha,
Tori
Date: Thursday August 10, 2023 @ 10:36am
From: Tori Agoot (Kona Campus Program Coordinator)
Re: What recovery and support agencies would you recommend …
Aloha,
From our local news outlet KITV4, here are a couple options:
https://www.kitv.com/news/lahaina/
Kakoo Maui Fund (very local and straight to the people, families and local business):
https://www.memberplanet.com/campaign/cnhamembers/kakoomaui
Maui Foodbank (general foodbank situation)
https://mauifoodbank.org/donate/
I am not sure if there is a place to donate to airlines, but Hawaiian and Southwest were/are offering low rate $19 flights for those who need to evacuate off Maui to a neighbor island to families, friends or other shelters.
I hope this helps.
Mahalo,
Tori
Date: Thursday August 10, 2023 @ 2:18pm
From: Kaleo Lee (Kona Class 4 President)
Subject: Re: Maui Emergency Donations 8/13
Aloha again!
Mahalo for everyone’s overwhelming support for this drive. I have received many messages from those off-island who want to participate in this drive.
I am excited to announce that we have opened up an Amazon Wish-list that will be donated directly to the King’s Cathedral Maui Kahului. PLEASE send this NEW flyer with a QR code and the Amazon Wish List link.
Mahalo,
Kaleo
Date: Thursday August 10, 2023 @ 4:37pm
From: Vickie Bounkousohn (Kona Class 3 President)
Re: Maui Emergency Donations 8/13
Mahalo KC4 for organizing this!
I’ve included a direct link to the Amazon wishlist that will directly benefit the King’s Cathedral in Maui. I will be adding more items to the list today. If you can think of any essential items to add, please reach out to me via email or text.
Sincerely,
Vickie Bounkousohn, PA-S
Date: Thursday August 10, 2023 @ 11:10pm
From: Kaleo Lee (Kona Class 4 President)
Re: Maui Emergency Donations 8/13
Aloha all,
Just as an update as of 8/10 8:00pm HST we have already received 82 gifts via the Amazon List to be delivered directly to King’s Cathedral! This is incredible. I thank you, your family and friends for your efforts and let’s continue doing what needs to be done! Stay safe.
Mahalo,
Kaleo
Date: Friday August 11, 2023 @ 9:28am
From: Tori Agoot (Kona Campus Program Coordinator)
Subject: Maui on site
Hi Jim,
Good morning.
We are talking about getting Kaleo to Maui to follow our donation and story next week. Just an FYI, I will be sure he connects with you it and when it’s a go.
Aloha,
Tori
Date: Friday August 11, 2023 @ 9:34pm
From: Tori Agoot (Kona Campus Program Coordinator)
Subject: Email from Tori Agoot, Friday August 11, 2023 @ 9:34pm
Hi Jim,
Today Kaleo was approached, and we agreed it was OK for him to take an interview with KRON4 out of California. A very nice story was aired by them as their opening story.
Mahalo,
Tori
Date: Friday August 11, 2023 @ 9:40pm
From: Email from Kaleo Lee (Kona Class 4 President)
Subject: Re: Maui Emergency Donations 8/13
Aloha everyone,
Just an update for how the donation drive is going as of 8/11 at 6:30pm HST. We’ve had almost 150 donations on the Amazon link! INCREDIBLE, we are constantly updating the link so please continue to share. If you are on island and interested in volunteering on Sunday at our drop-offs, please send me an email! Attached in our Kona Medex Instagram are links to the Amazon List and Maui County website where you can donate money. So please continue to send and share.
I appreciate every single one of you and thank you all for your effort in this. Please stay safe and let me know if you have any questions.
Mahalo,
Kaleo
Date: Friday August 11, 2023 @ 9:42pm
From: Kaleo Lee (Kona Class 4 President)
Subject: Re: Fires in Hawaii, K4 and Community
Hi Jim,
I hope all is well. I did an interview and news story with KRON 4 news in the Bay Area, and I thought I’d share it with you:
https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/bay-area-native-leads-effort-to-help-maui/
Mahalo,
Kaleo
Date: Saturday August 12, 2023 @ 9:11 pm
From: Tori Agoot (Kona Campus Program Coordinator)
Subject: Kona 4 Students in the ground in Maui
Aloha Jim,
I have secured air transportation as well as housing for 5, K4 students to get to Maui and follow our first donation shipment and help at King’s Cathedral. Holeka Inaba, a friend of mine and Kona Council Member District 7, was able to put me in touch with Mokulele Airlines here in Kona. They are able and agreed to fly them to and from.
K3 student, Juliane has agreed to give them a place to stay. She’s a 5-minute walk from the King’s Cathedral. Kaleo called to confirm the Church could use us and they will be hands for going through donations and organizing from Tuesday to Friday next week.
One of the students going, Anna, is a professional photographer, and she will be capturing the trip through her camera lens.
We will keep you posted.
Mahalo,
Tori
Date: Monday August 14, 2023 @ 11:34am
From: Tori Agoot (Kona Campus Program Coordinator)
Subject: Kona Maui Drive
Hi Jim,
Here’s a photos of our items heading to Maui later today. I was able to get a local airline to fly our students to Maui and back this week so they can follow our donations and help organize and distribute at the shelter. They also have housing which we organized on our own in part with a K3 student, Juliane Dionne.
K4 has a quiz this morning then we are packaging up donations and getting them to our airport.
Thank you,
Tori
Date: Monday August 14, 2023 @ 11:49am
From: Kaleo Lee (Kona Class 4 President)
Subject: Re: Kona Maui Drive
Aloha all,
We have more images from the donations last night, I’ll be sure to have Anna and Tiffany send them over to you.
Mahalo,
Kaleo
Date: Monday August 14, 2023 @ 1:20pm
From: Anna Larson-Dola (Kona Class 4 Historian)
Subject: Re: Kona Maui Drive
Here is a link to the photos that I took last night:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/C8XEWxAcPUUYbQVs8
Date: Monday August 14, 2023 @ 5:23pm
From: Tori Agoot (Kona Campus Program Coordinator)
Subject: Kona Donations At Kona Airport
Aloha.
We made the cut off time with Aloha Cargo today for shipping of our donations to the King’s Cathedral in Maui. See attached photos of the students heading out cars locked and loaded from campus and doing more work at Aloha Cargo.
80 boxes for a total of 5 pallets.
Next stop: Kaleo Lee (President), Anna Larson-Dola (Historian), Liana Brouilette (Social Director), Nguyen Chau (Student), Justin Grandalen (CCSR/HAPA) will be getting on a Mokulele flight to Maui on the afternoon to meet up with our donations and help at the King’s Cathedral.
Signing off,
Tori
Date: Wednesday August 16, 2023 @ 10:36 am
From: Tori Agoot (Kona Campus Program Coordinator)
Subject: Morning from the tarmac in Kona
Aloha.
Our 5 on the tarmac in Kona loading their Cessna to Maui. They arrived early for their flight, and the crew asked if they wanted to help load more donations going over, they jumped right in.
Tori
To be continued …