Annual Aloha Festival in San Mateo focuses on Hawaii aid
SAN MATEO -- The Bay Area Aloha Festival saw a boost in attendance this year due to the Hawaii wildfires. Organizers said the celebratory event took on a new role: helping with relief efforts.
Among the thousands working at and attending the festival in San Mateo Saturday was Jasmine Contreras. She flew from the Hawaiian island of Kauai on Friday and arrived at her Bay Area home Saturday morning. She had been visiting family in Hawaii and working for the Hawaii Chamber of Commerce of Northern California (HCCNC Foundation), where she's a board member.
"(The blazes) knocked out cell coverage, so you couldn't hear from anybody. You just didn't know what was going on so I found out later in the week that we did unfortunately have someone (in the family) who passed away. That was rough. It's surreal ... how can we help the rest of the family in Maui?" Contreras said.
She said her uncle died in a car trying to escape the fast-moving flames. She hopes to turn family grief into strength.
"I'm just thinking 'how can I be helpful but not a hindrance,'" Contreras said.
At the festival, she worked the HCCNC booth, answering questions from people who want to donate money to Hawaii fire victims.
She was exhausted from the flight back but said there was no way she would miss this opportunity to rally the Bay Area to help survivors.
"If I can divert any attention back to people who need help, I want to do that," Contreras said.
The Northern California Pacific Islanders' Cultural Association (PICA) organizes the annual Aloha Festival in San Mateo to be a celebration of island culture, featuring Hawaiian music, dance and food.
The tragedy brought organizations together to help with relief efforts. Among those attending the festival and raising awareness was former gold medal Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.
"(Maui is) kind of a home away from home for us. We've owned a property there for the last 10-plus years so it's so gut-wrenching to see," Yamaguchi said.
She thinks her condo may still be standing but wasn't certain. She said that was the least of her concerns and was focused on helping families who lost loved ones.
"It's going to take decades, I think, for this recovery and rebuild and we definitely want to be a part of that," Yamaguchi said.
Contreras said she was touched by the generosity of so many as her family coped with the loss of her uncle.
"It's great to hear that these people care. And they're saying 'Hey, I am not Hawaiian' or 'I don't have any connection but I have the means and I want to help.'"
