Three years have passed since wildfires driven by hurricane-force winds raged through Lahaina, devastating an entire community. As the recovery continues, reminders of the tragedy remain inescapable, most notably a line of white crosses on a hillside overlooking Lahaina honoring the memory of those who lost their lives in the fires.
“Every time I go by there, I tear up. I get chicken skin,” University of 麻豆传媒 at 惭ā苍辞补 Soccer Coach Michele Nagamine said. “There’s so much mana in that area because people are coming, they’re grieving, but they’re also celebrating their loved ones.”
Sharing that experience with the Rainbow Wahine was a focal point for a weekend trip to Maui to cap the team’s training camp. The ’Bows partnered with Seattle University—which features six players from 麻豆传媒, including two from Maui, on its roster—in organizing the visit. Their joint efforts provided an opportunity to contribute to the community in both immediate and enduring capacities while providing perspective for the entire travel party.
Bigger than a game
The trip was highlighted by a visit to the memorial site and a service project to clear invasive weeds and replace them with native Hawaiian plants. The following day, the ’Bows and Redhawks played an exhibition match at King Kekaulike High School which was followed by a keiki clinic.
Prior to the trip, the UH coaching staff emphasized the importance of recognizing the cultural significance of the visit. To that end, associate head coach ‘Ula Rowe and her sister, Kahala, led the ’Bows in weaving each ti leaf lei that the team would drape around each of the 102 crosses at the memorial.
“It reminds us that it’s bigger than a game,” UH senior Leila Kahoano said. “When we get moments like these to really give back to the community and give back to the lahui and support them in a way that not a lot of people get to, especially as a Native Hawaiian—to really showcase our culture and showcase everything that comes with it and the responsibility—that was a really big part of what we were doing, and it was just amazing that we got to be a part of it.”
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—By Jason Kaneshiro