Bay Area Aloha Festival in San Mateo County honors fire victims
The Bay Area Aloha Festival in San Mateo County honored fire victims Saturday.
SAN MATEO, Calif. - While recovery is underway Maui, people in the Bay Area are doing what they can to offer help, support, and joy.
Days after flames destroyed the town of Lahaina, the Pacific Islander Community Association put on its annual Aloha Festival at the San Mateo County Events Center. Festivities opened with a prayer, honoring those who dealing with the aftermath of the deadly fires.
"Just bringing the spirit," said Frankie Sim, a long time attendee of the festival. She and her husband made the drive from Hollister.
Some call the Aloha Festival the "next best thing" to actually visiting the islands. For more than 28 years, people had the change to learn and embrace Hawaiian culture.
"Cultural activities such as learning the language, learning about the culture itself, how the Pacific Islanders live," said Manley Bush, the festival's emcee and PICA Vice President.
"If you're a tourist and you're planning to go to Hawaii, here's how you get initiated to that, and what you can expect to have when you go there."
ALSO: Video shows Maui survivors jumping into water to escape devastating fire
Hawaiian Airlines ran a booth, asking people to donate money and their saved up airline miles to its relief efforts. Before Saturday morning, the company already racked up $30 million and it planned to match all donations.
At the same time, crews in Maui are connecting victims with resources. Ashley Correa is an agent for the Ohana Real Estate Team at Compass in Maui. She says help from home and afar will go a long way.
"My other half, my dad, a lot of the men in my family are boots on the ground, going out in Lahaina" she said.
"I'm holding it down on the back end and the home front and the donations center; it's the least I can do."
Also serving on the board of the local Habitat for Humanity chapter, Correa is spreading information on local donation drives and fundraisers to connect victims with what they need.
Back in the Bay, festival organizers say they are working on a donation drive of their own, hoping to form a relief effort on their behalf soon.