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People holding hands in a circle

About 30 people gathered on the lawn of Hawaiʻi Hall on the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa campus on Thursday, August 8, to mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly wildfire that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina, Maui. They held a moment of silence for everyone impacted by the Lahaina and Kula, Maui wildfires.

“The difficult images from Lahaina and Kula may be etched in our memories but so are the countless acts of kindness and uplifting aloha that followed,” said Provost Michael Bruno. “We honored those who perished and sent strength to those rebuilding.”

Bruno says he is proud of his administrative team that immediately reached out to UH Mānoa students from Maui to offer assistance.

“Our goal was to offer each and every one of them not just an education but a warm, supportive home,” said Bruno. “This fall, we are humbled to welcome even more students from the Valley Isle as they start their very first semester with us.”

The new freshman class will include graduates from Lahainaluna High School, who are receiving scholarships to attend UH campuses. Initially, the university promised to fund the first year of the scholarships before an anonymous donor came forward to fully fund two- and four-year scholarships.

UH Mānoa researchers are continuing to provide assistance and support on Maui in multiple areas including assessing health and environmental impacts and improving disaster preparedness and wildfire mitigation.

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