SAN ANTONIO – In Hawaii, the word “ohana” means family, which extends through all the islands.
As the people of Maui cope with these devastating fires, their ohana across the ocean is sending help.
At L&L Hawaiian Barbecue in San Antonio, it doesn’t just smell like Hawaii; it feels like Hawaii, with an energy of warmth and connection.
“You don’t need to be a blood relative because our culture transcends biology,” Sarah Yee, owner of L&L said. “So we are all connected through the culture.”
Yee was born and raised in Oahu but has long been the franchise owner of the two L&L restaurants in San Antonio.
“Relative to L&L, our primary restaurant in Lahaina was burned to the ground,” Yee said. “We were able to, thank goodness, account for all the employees. The franchisee owner lost his house, and his family members lost their homes.”
Yee said the second location in Maui has some damage and has no water or power.
“The thing about our Hawaiian people is that we’re going to take care of each other,” Hawaiian musician Kainoa Kamaka said.
Kamaka began partnering with L&L nine years ago and is now like family.
He’s from the big island of Hawaii, where almost his entire family lives. His brother is a doctor in Maui.
“He’s now not only taking care of his patients but he’s being called to go to the hospitals,” Kamaka said.
The hospitals and shelters are full of people injured in the fires and need support.
That’s where L&L is stepping in.
The second Friday of every month at L&L is called Aloha Friday. Starting last week, every Aloha Friday will become a fundraiser for the people of Maui.
Twenty-five percent of proceeds will go to vetted organizations in Maui, including the Maui Red Cross.
On top of Aloha Fridays, they’ll keep a donation jar at their register for the foreseeable future.
They will also donate a chunk of the money they make on orders through their app, so people ordering online can also help.
“There is a word that Hawaiians use, we use ‘imua,’ which means to move forward,” Kamaka said. “So in times of this distress, we like to come together.”
It shows that the Hawaiian culture of resilience is unbreakable, no matter how far away people may be.