ESPN awards Maui Surfing Community for wildfire relief efforts
- Fire left the town of Lahaina without power and stranded
- Archie Kalepa distributed supplies out of his front yard
- Kai Lenny personally delivered aid on jet skis and boats
The hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are engulfed in flames along Wainee Street on Aug. 8, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Hawaii’s attorney general on Monday, March 18, 2024 blamed a delay of the release of a key report into a deadly Maui wildfire on county agencies that forced investigators to issue subpoenas. (Matthew Thayer/The Maui News via AP, file)
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WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Nearly a year after a wildfire burned Lahaina to the ground, ESPN, arguably the biggest name in sports broadcasting, is honoring Maui’s surfers for their help rescuing and supporting those fleeing from the flames.
“As the wildfires unfolded, Maui surfers and water safety teams were some of the first to respond to the disaster, and their responses proved to be critical in keeping people alive, as the fires had cut thousands of people off from escape routes or emergency aid,” ESPN said in a press release.
The Aug. 8 wildfire sparked power outages throughout the historic town of Lahaina, leaving residents stranded.
While poor coordination between government officials stymied the initial response, legendary waterman Archie Kalepa transformed the front yard of his home into a hub for distributing vital supplies, including water, canned goods, medicine, generators and fuel to survivors.
Professional big wave surfer Kai Lenny personally delivered aid to those in need via jet skis and boats to different parts of the island due to continued road closures.
Kalepa and Lenny accepted the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award on behalf of the Maui Surfing Community.
“What was lost, can never be replaced,” Lenny said at Thursday’s ceremony. “But together, we can rebuild our home to honor the fallen.”
“There are so many unsung heroes who stepped up to the plate and utilized their skills as watermen and waterwomen to help the survivors of the fires,” Lenny added. “This is for them. For Maui. And a community that is stronger than it has ever been.”
The Lahaina inferno killed 101 people and displaced almost half of the town’s 13,000 residents.
