​Visitor Industry Delivers 16,800 Pounds of Rice for the Holidays

WAILUKU, MAUI – This past week, MHLA delivered 16,800 pounds of rice throughout Maui, Molokaʻi, and Lanaʻi for the Thanksgiving Holiday. This yearʻs Rice for the Holidays event started on Saturday, November 18th partnering with Triology Excursions for the 30^th Annual “Turkey & Rice Holiday Gifting”. MHLA boarded Trilogyʻs charter and helped to deliver 850 turkey and rice bags to the Lanaʻi Community at the Lanaʻi Rec Center. In 2008, MHLA began contributing 5-pound rice bags to families at the event and since then, the holiday gifting expanded to include other partnerships throughout the visitor industy. Every year, following the Lanaʻi distributions, Young Brothers and Molokaʻi Island Foundation distribute rice to the Molokaʻi community while Feed My Sheep and Hana-Resort distribute rice on Maui.

“Being able to partner with our members to bring holiday cheer to our county is such a joy,” says Lisa Paulson, Executive Director of MHLA. “This event really shows how our industry cares about the community.”

The visitor industry participates in many community year-round giving events in addition to the Rice for the Holidays event. This December, MHLA is sponsoring the nonprofit, Maui Nui Resource Council, through another Trilogy Excursion event, the Blue ʻAina Reef Clean-Up in addition to the annual Na Kupuna Appreciation Event. For more information on how to support events like these, visit the MHLA website here.

Photo Credit: MHLA

Photo Captions: MHLA Rice for the Holidays Distribution in Lanaʻi 2023