The Rotary Club of Boise Sunrise Supports Rotary International’s Maui Relief Efforts
Each month, the Rotary Club of Boise Sunrise chooses a non-profit organization or project to financially support with our Center of the Table (CoT) donations. Numerous local non-profits have been the recipients of these funds. In September 2023, the CoT funds will go to Rotary International’s efforts to support the citizens of Maui as they strive to recover from the devastating fires that have destroyed much of the town of Lahaina. The project is described as follows.
Recently, horrible fires fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from Hurricane Dora overtook the island paradise of Maui, Hawaii. The historic town of Lahaina has been left to rubble. The fires have already claimed the lives of more than 100 people and have become the state's deadliest natural disaster since 1960. It’s also the deadliest U.S. wildfire since the 2018 Camp Fire which devastated the community of Paradise, California. Hawaiian Governor, Josh Green, estimates it will take billions of dollars to rebuild all of the communities affected and there is an urgent need to house thousands of people who have lost their homes to the blaze.
Rotarians are People of Action and the Rotary members of Hawaii (District 5000) have created a fund to help with the relief and rebuilding effort. We welcome members and clubs who are interested in supporting the recovery effort to donate there.
This relief fund aims to provide immediate assistance and long-term recovery support to the people of Maui, as they navigate the path to rebuilding their lives and communities. Individuals, businesses, and organizations are invited to contribute to the Maui Fires Relief Fund to provide immediate relief and support for the long-term recovery of Maui's communities.
The Board of Directors at Boise Sunrise decides each month who will receive the CoT and the decision to support the people on Maui was an easy one for the board to take. Exactly how the funds will be spent is up to the Rotarians and civic leaders on Maui. We seek to be part of the funding crew supporting this effort.
9/8/2023 Update: The Rotary project created to support Maui relief has collected $1.3 Million to date. The priorities, as identified by the residents most impacted, have been to restore Internet connectivity relating to targeted use of satellite capabilities as well as providing gas cards to residents who have been forced out of damaged or destroyed homes and are staying on the other end of the island for now. We are confident that this will tangibly help our fellow Americans in Hawaii and we are proud to be part of this effort.
At Boise Sunrise, our motto is that We Seek to Leave it Better Than we Found it. The Rotary International motto is Service Above Self. This project advances both of those intentions well, we believe. We meet at 7:00 AM every Tuesday at The Riverside Hotel. If this kind of work appeals to you, we’d like to invite you to join us for breakfast on a Tuesday of your choice. We’ll buy your breakfast. We are an active group of high character community leaders with our eyes and ears open to projects where we can deliver tangible impact. We open our wallets and we take out our shovels in supporting our chosen projects and organizations. If you wish to look into this further, please visit our webpage at www.boisesunriserotary.com. If you have questions, please feel free to contact John Lodal at jnlodal@gmail.com.