Thread by @KanekoaTheGreat

MAUI🚨 In the ruins of Lahaina, a surfing legend leads a volunteer army to get supplies to survivors.

Archie Kalepa, a well-known waterman and member of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, is stepping up to lead a grassroots relief effort.

Archie Kalepa wasn't home when the fires began, but his neighbors joined firefighters to protect their cul-de-sac next to the Lahaina Civic and Recreation Center.

When Kalepa received news of the fires, he was training people in water rescue in Lake Tahoe.

From there, he reached out to friends and arranged for supplies to be delivered to his home.

Flying into Maui the very next day, Kalepa arrived by boat with supplies to his hometown of Lahaina, where he witnessed the stark devastation - charred hills, burned-out cars, and destroyed homes.

One of Kalepa's first actions was to pull Starlink satellite receivers from the Polynesian Voyaging Society's canoes to restore internet and communication to the area.

Today, the LA Times published an article about Kalepa, a former lifeguard better known as Uncle Archie, and what he has accomplished for his Lahaina community over the last week.

He says his cul-de-sac has become "a starting point to the rebuilding of our communities."

LA Times journalist Jack Dolan shares the story of Uncle Archie and "his volunteer army," who have transformed the waterman's front yard into a "supply depot to rival those established by the government and aid organizations."

"Right now, this is not my home," he said, sporting a neon vest and a Walkie Talkie strapped to his chest, directing dozens of volunteers.

"This is our community's home."

Life-sustaining supplies — water bottles, gas cans, tents, generators, food, and medication — are neatly stacked and free for any Lahaina residents who stop by.

After turning his home into a supply pod, Uncle Archie is now setting up pods in other Lahaina neighborhoods to support his entire community.

“We need to stay strong for the long haul,” he said. “So everybody who owns a home here can return.”

Uncle Archie's story continues below with videos and links for how you can help the community of Lahaina, Maui. 👇

"I was trying to prepare myself not to cry. Not to be emotional. To be strong for everybody. The site was unrecognizable. It was like an atomic bomb went off...

Driving through the town yesterday on the ATV and seeing what we saw is just heart-wrenching... but you know what? We can only move forward, and we can only worry about what we are doing today, tomorrow, and the next day to get us where we need to be...

We are going to use what we did here with this pod as a template to stand-up communities in Lahaina to turn it into pods, and we are going to make sure that they have everything that they need.

What we are doing to keep our community informed is having dinner every day at 5:00... So, every day at 5:00, we feed everybody. We talk about the next steps and what we are doing.

We talk about volunteers. What we need for cooking volunteers. What we need for security volunteers. What we need for logistic volunteers...

PPE is going to be a really big issue moving forward because of all of the hazardous materials, asbestos, and things like that. There are a lot of old homes, and if you think about 911, there were a lot of survivors, but a few years after, there were a lot of people that got really sick and passed away...

We have two more tropical storms coming right now that have the potential to turn into a hurricane... We have to be vigilant that this place doesn't get forgotten until it gets stood up again, and so the financial help is going to be super important to rebuild this community in the right way...

And I'm saying this as someone who lived here my whole life. I'm not saying this as a public official because I'm not a public official. I'm a part of this community."

Uncle Archie Kalepa (IG @peahi20ft)

Maui professional surfer @Kai_Lenny and former congresswoman @TulsiGabbard visited Uncle Archie Kalepa's residence yesterday.

They talked to his "volunteer army," which has transformed his home into a supply hub for the Lahaina community.

Supplies are brought in daily by volunteer boats from Molokai.

Each day at 5:00, dinners are provided at Uncle Archie's home, where volunteers come together to serve the Lahaina community.

Maui professional surfer @billy_kemper:

MAUI STAND STRONG. Seeing the devastation the fire did to Lahaina yesterday was heartbreaking, it honestly did not look real but seeing our community come together as a team to give our people and land hope was unbelievable. I am so proud of my community! We need to understand this is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Uncle Archie Kalepa @peahi20ft is a prime example of a pillar to this community, a pioneer, leader, and provider to all is a few ways to describe his role. Thank you uncle for leading the way and keeping the community in good hands. If we continue to work as a team we can keep Lahaina, LAHAINA!🫶🏽 #mauistrong #lahainastrong

If you would like to directly donate to Lahaina residents who lost their homes in the fire, you can do so at IG @lahaina_ohana_venmo.

Or you can visit the link below:
https://t.co/0z86w2OsXAlinktr.ee/kanoepach

Hawaiian surfing legend leads relief effort in Lahaina

latimes.com/california/sto…

Maui's @willcain showcases Uncle Archie Kalepa's residence leveraging SpaceX's Starlink and Tesla's Power Stations to deliver internet connectivity and power to Lahaina residents.

Mahalo, @elonmusk, for your support.

🤙❤️

Maui pro surfer @Kai_Lenny talks about the volunteer army that has stepped up to provide supplies for the community of Lahaina.

"I haven't seen one state, county, or federal official at any of the donation hubs where people are most suffering."

SpaceX has shipped and distributed more than 650 Starlink kits to 40+ organizations in Lahaina, Maui, to deliver internet connectivity to residents.

@elonmusk