Please Help Us Support the People of Maui

Maui No Ka ‘Oi

Writing this appeal is one of the hardest things I have had to do. My heart is broken for the people of Maui. Please join me as we come together in the spirit of ohana to support Maui as its people grapple with the aftermath of the country’s deadliest wildfire.

Our connections to the island run deep at Pagliacci, and we are putting up $25,000 in matching funds for a GoFundMe for the Maui United Way and donating all profits from our Hawaiian pizza sales (both whole pie and slices) from August 18 through the end of the month to the Maui Food Bank to help provide food assistance to those affected by the wildfires.

I was born on Maui and both my parents, as well as their parents, were raised on the island. My parents met as teenagers while working at a pineapple canning factory. Years ago, I visited the pineapple farm with my husband, Matt. We decided to import fresh pineapple from Maui for Pagliacci’s Hawaiian pizza. Over the years, we’ve returned to Maui frequently, taking each of our four children as babies to meet their family on Maui. We return for weddings, the birth of new cousins, birthdays, memorials and funerals. Matt often says, “You don’t really know Michelle unless you have seen her on Maui.”

The Galvin family with Michelle's great-aunt in Kula, Maui.

With over 100 dead, many thousands displaced, and more than 2,200 structures burned in the historic town of Lahaina alone, the need for assistance is great. The devastation caused by the wildfire is not just to a dream destination but to my homeland, my heart. For those who live there, many who survived lost loved ones, many others also lost their homes.

The pain of seeing my homeland in ruins is unbearable. Many of my cousins' friends are now without a home, job, or both. The road to recovery for Maui, especially its west side, will be long and arduous. Matt and I, along with our business partner, Pat McDonald, feel an enormous calling to help. Pat, like us, has visited Maui many times with his family. Please help us aid those impacted by the fires. Together we can make a difference and help ensure the people of Maui have the support they need as they work to rebuild their lives.

Mahalo, Michelle

Click Here to Support the GoFundMe directly.