Please donate to the Rotary District 5000 Foundation Kauai Disaster Fund.  On 9/7/2026, category two hurricane Lowell passed within 70 miles of the west side of the island of Kauai. It brought 80 mile per hour winds and heavy rain across the island. There was extensive inland flash flooding and coastal flooding.  There will be a long recovery and people have lost jobs. There are immediate needs for food, water, and debris removal. 

Roads were blocked, including the main highway, from downed trees. There was extensive damage to commercial and residential properties. Damage is still being assessed, but hundreds of structures have been damaged. At current count 54 homes were severely damaged and 7 homes were destroyed, but reports are still coming in. Luckily only two people died during the storm. Tourism is the primary industry, and tourists on the island have been asked to leave for disaster response. 90% of the island lost power and currently 25% still have no power for at least 1-2 weeks, and in some cases, it will be a month or more. There will be a long recovery and people have lost jobs. There are immediate needs for food, water, and debris removal. 

Aloha District 5000 Rotarians,

  My grandfather was a fisherman on the east end of Molokaʻi. When he returned from the ocean, he would set aside what his family needed and share the rest with neighbors. My grandmother taught me the Hawaiian word for that-- kahiau: give generously with no expectation of return. 

  That spirit is alive in Rotary today. After Hurricane Lala, Rotarians helped transport meals to families in Nāʻālehu and Pāhala in support of the Salvation Army. After Hurricane Lowell devastated parts of Kauaʻi, Rotarians helped secure disaster relief funding and worked with community partners to distribute food gift cards to local families. Rotarians are people of action. We give our time, our energy, our experience, our relationships, and our resources because strong communities are built when people are willing to serve one another. This is what Rotary does. This is who we are.

   And there is a place for you in that work. If you want to invest something of yourself in Hawaiʻi— a few hours of your time, a skill to share, a connection you can make, or resources you can contribute- we invite you to join us. Kahiau. Give generously. Serve together. Strengthen our community.