Purina announces $25,000 donation to help those affected by Hawaii wildfires

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As the wildfires continue to burn in what is being called one of Hawaii’s worse natural disasters, Purina announced it will donate $25,000 to Greater Good Charities to support its crisis relief efforts in providing immediate and long-term recovery to the animals and people in Hawaii.

"Our hearts go out to the families and pets being affected by these wildfires, and to the communities that are experiencing such a catastrophic loss" said Kim Beardslee, director of community affairs at Purina, in an organizational release.¹ "We have a long history of coming to the aid people and pets when disaster strikes, and we will continue working with our partners to provide support however we can."

The death toll has now risen to 96, with homes and businesses continuing to be destroyed, while surviving animals and people are being displaced.² Through this donation, Greater Good Charities will give cash grants to provide rescue and medical care, pet food, and supplies to rescues and emergency shelters based in Hawaii.

"Greater Good Charities is currently mobilizing to help the people and pets in the communities impacted by the tragic Maui wildfires by providing immediate support and solutions to aid in the island's long-term recovery," said Liz Baker, chief executive officer of Greater Good Charities.¹ "We are grateful to our partners like Purina who have not hesitated to step in to amplify our efforts in Maui."

The fires began on August 8, 2023, with the historic town of Lahaina suffering the most damage. Lahaina, once known as the royal capital of Hawaii, has been completely leveled by the fire, with its residents who fled describing the town as a "total inferno."³

At this time, the county of Maui disclosed Upcountry/Kula fire is now 60% contained, Lahaina fire is 85 % contained, Pulehu/Kihei fire remains 100% contained, and Puʻukoliʻi / Kaanapali fire was extinguished 8/12.³ The county also explained that if a fire is 100% contained, it does not mean extinguished, it means the firefighters fully surrounded the blaze by a perimeter that can still burn. When a fire is declared extinguished, that means personnel on site believe there is nothing left burning.

For those fleeing the fires, emergency shelters are available, but pets must be properly restrained within. Emergency shelters are in the following areas:^3,4

• King’s Cathedral Maui at 777 Maui Veteran’s Highway in Kahului
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 1300 Maui Lani Parkway in Kahului
• Grace Bible Church, Kahului
• South Maui Community Park Gymnasium, Kihei
• War Memorial Gymnasium, Wailuku

At this time, the cause of these fires has yet to be determined and officials have said they will not have the total number of fatalities for multiple weeks. Anyone interested in learning more about the efforts or donating to Greater Good Charities’ Disaster Response can visit www.greatergood.org.

References

1. Purina Donates $25,000 to Help Pets and People Impacted by Hawaii Wildfires. News release. Nestle Purina Petcare. August 11, 2023. Accessed August 14, 2023. https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/news-releases/purina-donates-25-000-to-help-pets-and-people-impacted-by-hawaii-wildfires-301899061.html
2. 8/14 COUNTY OF MAUI WILDFIRE DISASTER UPDATE AS OF 9:45 P.M. News release. County of Maui, Hawaii. August 13, 2023. Accessed August 14, 2023.
3. Hassan A. What we know about the wildfires in Hawaii. The New York times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/10/us/maui-wildfires-hawaii.html. Published August 10, 2023. Accessed August 14, 2023.
4. Two additional shelters opened in Central Maui. News release. County of Maui, Hawaii. August 10, 2023. Accessed August 14, 2023.