Archie Kalepa is many things— a respected Maui waterman, lifeguard, Polynesian voyager, water rescue instructor, and OluKai ambassador.
And in the last week since wildfires ravaged Maui and destroyed Lahaina, Kalepa is spreading aloha in the truest sense of the word.
Today the L.A. Times published an article about Kalepa and his “volunteer army” that’s helping survivors obtain supplies.
In the article above, writer Jack Dolan shares the story of Kalepa and his team of volunteers caring for wildfire victims.
According to Dolan, when Kalepa received news of the wildfires he was in Lake Tahoe training people in water rescue.
From there, he reached out to friends and arranged for supplies to be delivered to Maui.
Dolan reports that less than a week later, the waterman’s front yard had “been transformed into a supply depot to rival those established by the government and aid organizations.”
It offers “life-sustaining staples such as water bottles, gas cans, tents and food.”
Kalepa’s team has been offering everything “free to anyone who stops by, especially people from the neighborhood.”
The volunteers, including Navy SEALs and firefighters, have even planned roof repair for neighboring homes.
The waterman told Dolan he tells the people he trains to survive an ocean disaster “to stop and think.”
“When you’re surrounded by danger and you’re feeling all of this fear, the only way you can survive is talking yourself out of it,” he said. Dolan wrote that Kalepa advises people to focus on what’s immediately in front of them, and solving problems one at a time staves off panic and gets you closer to safety.
“It creates a sense of calm,” he said, even in the worst moments. “It creates a sense of what you need to do.”
Read the full article on the Los Angeles Times website.
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