Jason Momoa is warning those who wish to visit Maui as the worst wildfire in US history has left the island ravaged. Momoa is a Hawaii native. The Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said that he expects the death toll to rise as the research for people continues. The historic town of Lahaina saw more than 2,700 structures destroyed. Lahaina is a city deeply important to Hawaiians as it was a connection to their ancestors.
“Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now,” Momoa wrote in a social post shared through Instagram. “DO NOT TRAVEL TO MAUI. Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island that is suffering this deeply. Mahalo to everyone who has donated and shown aloha to the community in this time of need.”
Momoa also encouraged that people donate to the Hawaii Community Foundation Maui County Strong Fund which is actively working to help the thousands of displaced Hawaiians in their time of need.
“Families were forced to evacuate on short notice, many escaping with only the clothes on their backs,” he added. “Information on injuries and fatalities is still coming in. Lahaina town is gone. Many other places on Maui were also affected. We continue to send pule (prayers) to this incredible community.”
Momoa sentiments have been shared by other Hawaiian celebrities including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho. While Cravalho echoed the same sentiments found in Momoa’s post, Johnson decided to turn his attention towards the work being done on the island.
“First responders, health care teams, hotels, locals businesses, boots on the ground organizations and all our local heroes, stay strong – we love you and appreciate you. All our local families, our ohana, our aiga, stay strong thru this devastating time,” Johnson wrote in a shared Instagram post.
Donations: Hawai‘i Community Foundation, this fund is currently being used to support communities affected by the wildfires on Maui: http://hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong
Sources
https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/jason-momoa-sternly-warns-tourists-141049926.html
