The River Grove Lions Club,serving the community since 1949, recently made a donation of $1,000 to the Hawaii Lions Foundation, a nonprofit that supports disaster relief efforts on Maui. Our donation was made in response to the devastating wildfire that swept through the town of Lahaina on Maui Island in August 2023, killing over 100 people and displacing thousands more. The fire, which was fueled by strong winds and dry vegetation, was one of the worst natural disasters in Hawaii’s history. The River Grove Lions Club decided to make the donation after learning about the dire situation in Maui from their fellow Lions members. Club president, Jack Ross said that they felt a strong empathy with the people of Maui and wanted to show their solidarity and support. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of lives and homes in Lahaina. We know how hard it is to recover from such a tragedy. As Lions, we believe in serving those in need, wherever they are. We hope that our donation will help the Hawaii Lions Foundation and the Maui community to overcome this crisis and rebuild their lives,” Ross said.
The Hawaii Lions Foundation, which is affiliated with Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest service club organization, has been matching up to $25,000 in donations for Maui disaster relief efforts The foundation has been working with local Lions clubs to provide immediate and long-term assistance to the affected communities, such as food, water, shelter, clothing, medical supplies, counseling, and rebuilding.