On One-Year Anniversary Of Tragic Fires, Schatz Pays Tribute To Victims, Honors Survivors On Maui

LAHAINA - On the one-year anniversary of the devastating fires on Maui, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) joined state and local leaders and community members to pay tribute to the victims and honor survivors. Earlier today, Schatz addressed community members in Upcountry and joined state and local leaders and the Lahaina community for a memorial paddle out at Hanaka'o'o Beach followed by a tribute and remembrance event at the Lahaina Civic Center.

"Nothing could've prepared people for the horrors they experienced that day 12 months ago. They lost family and friends, homes and schools, entire neighborhoods and communities. All of it was gone in an instant. And yet even amid all that panic and chaos, so many people's first instinct was to put others before themselves," said Senator Schatz. "The kindness and generosity have continued in the months since, even as survivors continue to grieve losses and confront uncertainties of their own."

Schatz continued, "We've come a long way. Debris removal is running ahead of schedule. Water and wastewater services have been restored. The first few homes are beginning to be rebuilt. And kids are in school learning again at the temporary campus for King Kamehameha III Elementary School that opened earlier this year after being built in just 95 days. But we still have a long way to go. And our promise is that we will be there with this community for as long as it takes, at every step of the way."

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