UCLA to lead fundraiser after devastating wildfires in Maui

The UCLA Bruins are among the many organizations across the country that have decided to raise money in a time of desperate need for the Maui, Hawaii area. The Maui area was recently devastated by one of the worst wildfires in United States history.

There have been plenty of people in professional sports across the country raising money to support the victims of the fire. Some teams in the NFL even decided they needed to step up and contribute to the efforts.

In order to encourage their fans to donate to the cause, UCLA will give their fans two complimentary tickets for the Bruins’ season opener against Coastal Carolina, as well as their Sept. 16 matchup with North Carolina Central, to fans who donate at least $10 dollars to select charitable organizations, per James H. Williams.

The UCLA football coaching staff will also wear UCLA “Maui Strong” t-shirts with the phrase “malama kekahi i kekahi,” which translates to ‘take care of one another.”

There are several players on the Bruins’ roster with connections to Hawaii. Some of the organizations which the proceeds will go to will be the Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division, the American Red Cross in support of Hawaii wildfires relief and the Maui Food bank, according to Williams.

The Wildfires in Maui were among the worst in U.S. history

The death toll from the horrific wildfires in Maui has climbed to 111 people in recent days, according to a recent report from CNN. It’s already been marked as the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century, but experts are warning that the death toll could increase sometime over the next week or so. There are still over 1,000 people missing, according to Hawaii Governor Josh Green.

One of the largest fires was in Lahaina, Hawaii where it burned 2,170 acres. The fire damaged or destroyed more than 2,200 buildings, with 86 percent of them residential, officials said in a recent report in Reuters. FEMA has estimated that it will cost $5.5 billion to rebuild the town of Lahaina.

The cause of the wildfire in Maui has not yet been determined and is still under investigation. The National Weather Service had issued warnings for the Hawaiian Islands for high winds and dry weather–perfect conditions for wildfires. Winds from Hurricane Dora, hundreds of miles southwest of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean, helped to spread the wildfires across the state.

It was the deadliest U.S. wildfire since 1918, when northern Minnesota’s Cloquet Fire, which went on for four days, claiming 453 lives, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The deadliest wildfire in U.S. history was Wisconsin’s Peshtigo fire in 1871, which killed 1,152 people.