It hasn’t even been a year since tragedy struck the coastal communities in western Florida with Hurricane Ian, and now we are talking about another horrific event that has affected our industry personally. The wildfires in Maui that struck in early August came through with little warning. We heard from several retail and wholesale businesses located in the area whose businesses were completely destroyed but thankfully themselves and their employees all survived. You can read more about some of their experiences in our Retail News section on page 8.
Times like this are a good reminder of the importance of coming together as a retail community. At any instant we could be the next person affected by a disaster, and we would hope that people would be there for us.
It is going to take years for the community of Lahaina, Hawaii, to rebuild. We’ve already heard of many wholesalers and retailers in the industry lending their support. Whether it is a GoFundMe campaign or a product fundraiser, it is amazing to witness the generosity of our industry.
Surf Expo will be selling Maui Strong T-shirts during its Sept. 7-9 show in Orlando thanks to Katin and Lancaster Exposition Services. The $30 shirts will be sold on-site with 100% of all sales going directly to the Maui Sports Foundation to assist in its ongoing emergency relief efforts.
Old Guys Rule is supporting the Lahaina Dog Haven by funding the fencing needed for the 3-acre property as well as purchasing 20 sail shades to provide protection from the outdoor elements. In addition, the apparel company has designed the Live Aloha T-shirt, with the proceeds for that shirt being donated to the shelter.
Shaka Love donated 100% of its profits to the Maui Strong Fund from sales in part of August. Rustic Marlin created an Aloha sign with 100% of profits going to the same organization.
Santa’s Pen, a retail arm of Joseph K. & Co., lost its entire retail store in Lahaina. The company started a GoFundMe page where people can go to donate money to help its Maui staff. Its affiliated Waikiki Christmas stores are also selling Maui ornaments with proceeds going directly to Maui employees.
"Times like this are a good reminder of the importance of coming together as a retail community."
In the wake of the events in Maui, Heart on Main Street launched a Natural Disaster Jumpstart Program with a dozen wholesale supporters already onboard. The nonprofit also launched a fundraiser specifically for Maui.
Seaside Retailer is also contributing to the relief efforts. We will be donating a portion of our proceeds from the Coastal Connections Conference toward Maui relief efforts.
It is in times like this when the industry needs to come together. This won’t be the last time tragedy strikes our beloved coastal communities, but we can face disasters as one united front instead of going it alone.
