The Maui Wildfire Relief Donation Drive

 

 In real-life news, there's been a lot of talk about a devastating fire that hit the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii on the night of August 8. Believed to have started by high winds knocking down power lines, the flames rapidly spread through the town, of which residents had no alerts from it's early warning system, knowing something was wrong only when they saw the flames or heard explosions. The fire spread rapidly, and overtook many before they could get away, some taking refuge in the ocean as buildings on land burned out of control. Out of a population of less than 13,000, over a thousand are missing and over a hundred confirmed dead (AP News article), with a number of survivors having lost most everything. 

In Second Life, the response has been a fundraiser event. Called the Maui Wildfire Relief Donation Drive, it began on Saturday August 19, and will go on to Saturday August 26. The event is taking place at Tropical Hideaway.

On August 8, 2023, wildfires fueled by a dry summer and hurricane winds spread across the island of Maui. On August 9, the city of Lahaina fell victim to the flames, leaving residents with no choice but to run into the sea to escape the fire.

With fires still burning in outlying areas, the fight is not over for emergency responders. For the survivors returning to find their lives in ashes, however, a new struggle is only beginning.

Moments like this can leave us feeling helpless, but Second Life is known for its ability to come together in support of those in need. We are asking you to do that again today.

The Maui Wildfire Relief Donation Drive will be held from Saturday, August 19 to Saturday, August 26. This will be a 100% donation event, with ALL proceeds going to Maui Food Bank, a verified organization providing food to the hungry in Maui.

Saturday had an event, with DJ Acacia playing from 9 AM to Noon, and Trickylicks on stage at 12 PM. When I dropped by Just before 1PM, almost 12,000 Lindens had been raised in the two kiosks on stage.

Most of the money coming in is from item kiosks placed in a square pattern in the store area. Unlike some fundraisers, the organizers pledge a hundred percent of all sales are going to charity. The money is going to the Maui Food Bank. 

As of Midnight Saturday, over 722,000 Linden dollars had been raised.

For more information, check out the event website on http://mauiwildfirereliefsl.com/

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tropical%20Hideaway/131/131/22

 

 Update: There were two DJs at the club on late Sunday morning. So there may be music events most every day at the fundraiser.

 

Bixyl Shuftan