People in Massachusetts desperate to help after deadly Maui wildfires
SCITUATE – As people on the Hawaiian island of Maui continue to reel from deadly wildfires, Massachusetts residents are looking for ways to help.
Rich Bonanno, the founder of Scituate non-profit the Rolling Wave Foundation, acquired three generators in the hopes of getting them to Maui. He wants to donate at least three more.
"Just think what it's like when we don't have power here for a couple of days. They're not going to have power there for a couple of months," Bonanno said.
More: How to help those affected by the Maui wildfires
Bonanno is facing hurdles. He says he cannot find anyone to transport the generators to the island.
"I was hoping that the airlines would kick in. I was hoping that Hawaiian air or United or somebody. And I just got refused by all of them," he said.
Others are providing financial donations.
Scituate man, Chris Kennedy, found himself vacationing in Maui on the opposite side of the island as the fires.
"It was just a surreal experience seeing smoke and fires and military helicopters and all that," Kennedy said.
Kennedy tried to volunteer locally but was not allowed to travel to the devastated area. Instead, he decided to raise money using his Scituate garden center, Kennedy's Country Gardens. Last weekend, he donated 20% of sales to a Maui foodbank.
According to the Red Cross, financial donations are the most effective way to help the people of Maui at this time.
"Text the word Hawaii to 90999. That adds a $10 donation to your cell phone bill. That money goes to move supplies from other Hawaiian islands and from the mainland in the United States into Maui," said Jeff Hall, a spokesperson for the Red Cross in Massachusetts.