Santa Barbara restaurant collaborates with Direct Relief to help those affected by Maui wildfires
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A locally owned restaurant in Santa Barbara is helping those impacted by the devastating Maui fires.
Owner Tina Takaya of Oku Restaurant still recalls her memory of Maui before the island was struck by wildfires on august 8th.
"I always used to go to Lahaina and it’s just a beautiful historical place and it’s very sad to see that it disappeared. You know when it’s quite shocking actually," said Takaya.
The restaurant owner decided to put on a fundraiser to help families of Lahaina who were impacted by the August 8 disaster.
“Sometimes in life, you have to step outside what your needs are to see the greater good or to see who needs it more and I just felt like the people I wanted … I told my sisters I wanted to target the locals there," said Takaya.
In a single night, the restaurant raised $30,000.
"It was amazing we didn’t know what we were going to anticipate … everything was word of mouth we invited our regulars and locals and we invited them out to support that night," said manager Luna Garcia of Oku Restaurant.
Managers here at Oku say more than 400 customers came to the restaurant in support of Maui
“But yeah, I think it not only affected Lahaina as you know its own community but you know it was it definitely rippled through throughout here," said Garcia.
100 percent of the sales and tips were then donated to the humanitarian organization Direct Relief ... making a direct impact on those in need.
"This enables, direct relief to continue providing additional resources medicines that are needed protective gear for people who are going back, reentering the neighborhoods where they lived," said vice president Dean Axelrod of Direct Relief.
"I get choked up just Thinking about it because of all the hearts coming together to create something good for somebody," said Takaya.
Direct Relief will continue sending medical and other related supplies to Maui, making a direct impact on those in need.
