Small town, big heart
In honor of those who lost their lives, homes and livelihoods to the Lahaina fire, we pay tribute to the little harbor town and its giant heart.
Rooted in Hawaiian history and values, Lahaina has been shaped by royal families, missionaries, whalers, plantation owners, immigrant laborers, hippies, artists and countless others who added their story to the mix. It was a multicultural mashup full of positivity and the aloha spirit before the fire and we expect it to continue to be so after.
If asked to describe Lahaina in one word, colorful might be the one we choose. Happy, proud, unique, historic, funky and resilient would also work. To many folks who lived and visited there, it was simply, paradise.
Blue sky and ocean, weathered plantation homes held together by hope and termites, expensive paintings displayed in shops painted bright as sunsets, Lahaina was awash in color, but without a doubt, its primary hue was red. One of our fondest memories is covering a parade down Front Street marking the 175th anniversary of Lahainaluna High School. Held in 2006, the long parade was made up of graduates of the school, its championship football team, cheerleaders and marching band. Led by their oldest living alumni, the Lunas all wore bright smiles and were dressed in the school’s trademark red. Seeing them, it was hard not to wish you too were part of such a proud tradition.
For a wider display of colors, it was hard to beat Lahaina’s annual Na Kamehameha Commemorative Pa‘u Parade. The princesses and their courts all were bedecked in the colors of the islands they represented. Too many hours to count went into gathering the flowers and greenery to make the lei that covered the riders and their magnificent horses.
On the other end of the spectrum was Lahaina’s annual Halloween celebration, which had far less to do with the Hawaiian culture and more with just being silly. At its height, Halloween drew more than 20,000 people to Front Street to carouse and strut their stuff. Some costumes were simple and others outlandishly elaborate. The event’s rough edges and party-hard atmosphere were said to be spawned by the town’s wild Whaling Spree days.
Lahaina’s shops, restaurants, boats, historical sites and cast of local characters all shaped the town’s color. As of Tuesday evening, its primary shade is now ash gray. There will be plenty of time to discuss Lahaina’s future and what can be done to recapture its vibrancy. Now is the time to recover and bury our dead, to care for our shell-shocked survivors and to pay homage to what has been lost.
Make no mistake, Lahaina will rise from the ashes on the shoulders of its people. Those proud Lunas will not be alone, for this island, state and country are ready to help. Stay strong, Lahaina. We are with you.