Radio broadcasters are stepping up to provide assistance to those affected by the devastating Hawaii wildfires, especially on the island of Maui.
Radio Ink reached out to the Broadcasters Foundation of America, which told us, “The Broadcasters Foundation reached out to Jamie Hartnett at the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters last week so she can direct any victims to us. With lines being down, communication coming out of Hawaii is difficult and slow right now. The Foundation has an expedited process for emergency grants so that assistance gets to qualifying recipients quickly.”
Bonneville International has initiated the “Maui Strong” campaign to raise funds for the Hawaii Community Foundation and has already contributed $15,000. The funds will be used to address immediate needs such as shelter, food, and financial assistance.
iHeartMedia Honolulu started #KokuaforMaui across all its stations and morning shows. It aims to galvanize support and donations for the American Red Cross’ relief work in the affected region.
Finally, as many think of monetary contributions, Hawaii Association of Broadcasters President Chris Leonard told Radio Ink that radio should be pushing both local and federal lawmakers to know how important the medium is.
“I have informed both the National Association of Broadcasters and the Federal Emergency Management Agency of my intention to sit down face-to-face and reinforce this point,” said Leonard. “We are uniquely situated to serve the public interest with a redundant and resilient system that can reach people when they need it most. This is not an isolated issue; it happens across the country, as seen in the Paradise fires in California. It is inexcusable to say we had no way to reach people in these critical situations.”
“If nothing else comes out of this horrific situation, it’s my hope that we learn a few essential lessons. We can’t stop telling this story until we make the necessary changes to ensure that we are always prepared and able to reach people with life-saving information when they need it most.”
The collaborative efforts by these radio broadcasters exemplify the spirit of community and the importance of working together to rebuild in the aftermath and prevent loss of life in future disasters.
