45th Maui Charity Walk raises over $1 million for the 8th year
KAHULUI – The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association (MHLA) celebrated its 45th year of giving back to the community with the annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk on May 4th.
Nearly 1,600 walkers attended the in-person event at the War Memorial Complex. Walkers finished 2.5 miles of exercise and received complimentary breakfast, treats, giveaway prizes, and local entertainment, including a performance by Tihati Productions. An impressive total of $1,235,482 was raised so far from Maui County.
Participating walkers included visitor industry employees, nonprofit agencies, business representatives and even some island visitors. Organizations began their fundraising efforts months before the event by collecting pledges from friends, family, hotel guests and neighbors hosting lip-singing contests, flea markets, spa specials, lumpia and popcorn sales, golf tournaments and even an on-air radio auction.
The Grand Wailea Maui took top honors for hotel properties with $73,001 in donations received. AMP Restaurants was the business that raised the most at $22,857. Winning the award in the non-profit category was the Maui Economic Opportunity team, which collected $164,491.
Non-profit Raising the Most Funds:
1st Place: Maui Economic Opportunity $164,491
2nd Place: Hale Kau Kau $150,953
3rd Place: Hale Makua Health Services $110,014
Business Raising the Most Funds:
1st Place: AMP Restaurants $22,857
2nd Place: VIP Foodservice $22,008
3rd Place: Kahului Airport, OGG $15,894
Property Raising the Most Funds:
1st Place: Grand Wailea Maui $73,001
2nd Place: Wailea Beach Resort $53,843
3rd Place: Andaz Wailea $25,680
“To see Maui come together once again with such strength and determination, while still in recovery from the wildfires, is such a testament of the unique spirit we have in Maui County. There was so much joy today,” said Lisa Paulson, executive director of the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association. “Our nonprofits really need continued support, and to see how committed this community is to support them is triumphant.”
The Charity Walk is one of the largest single-day fundraising events in Hawaii, with walks held on Oahu, Kauai, the Big Island, and Maui. For fifteen consecutive years, Maui has brought in more funding than any other county and for its eighth year, has brought in over $1 million for Maui, through this event. Funds will continue to be received until the end of May. The final amounts raised will be announced in late summer.