LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Almost a year after wildfires tore through the town of Lahaina on Maui, the burn scar is still fresh.
“It’s still a long process. There are still people sleeping on the beaches, in hotels,” said Chris Mahon, who was raised on Maui and lived there for 40 years.
“My father’s house burned down… Extended family, I lost some friends,” he said. “So, it was devastating. Very, very devastating.”
In October, Mahon helped organize the Broke Da Mouth food festival fundraiser in Las Vegas — raising $30,000 in support for Maui from the Ninth Island.
“So, what we decided to do is give it to my alumni Lahainaluna High School,” he said, “and they’re able to now give out to the 900 students and help with books, maybe some lunch programs.”
Mahon said this way, they can ensure the money goes straight to the families who need it most — as students prepare for another school year, filled with reminders of the destruction surrounding them.
“The road up to Lahainaluna, the high school, is right through the majority of the burn,” said Mahon. “So, every day going to school is a reminder of what really happened, and that’s hard. Definitely creates some PTSD for sure.”
As more time passes since the fires, and recovery efforts continue on Maui — Mahon says the Ninth Island will continue its wave of support for the families still rebuilding.
“It’s been hard for a lot of families still. Very, very, very hard,” he said. “It disappears really, really quick in the public’s eye because of so many other things going on, but here in Vegas, the Ninth Island, we are not stopping.”
Mahon said another Broke Da Mouth food festival fundraiser for Maui is already in the works.
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