Maui Kids Hit By Wildfire Getting Special Messages From Menifee Youth

MENIFEE, CA — Students at a Menifee school are sending messages of encouragement to youths devastated by the Maui fires, offering words of hope and consolation, trying to boost the children's spirits at a time when the full impact of the blaze is still uncertain, officials said Wednesday.

"Fostering empathy is a cornerstone of our 'Student Success Profile,"' Menifee Union School District Superintendent Jennifer Root said. "Without a doubt, our students are living this value and uplifting the spirits of Maui residents during a crucial period."

The idea of sending homemade cards with special messages originated with Bell Mountain Middle School Assistant Principal Charles Libolt, who contacted Ned Hocking at Maui Waena Intermediate School in Lahaina, the epicenter of the blaze, located on the west end of the island.

Hocking said his students and others were in desperate need of positive words.

Last week, Bell Mountain youths began composing the cards, which included messages like, "With every storm, there is a rainbow," "Hugs from the mainland," and "Braver than you believe, stronger than you seem."

The Menifee Rotary Club covered the costs of mailing the cards.

The blaze that swept over the Lahaina area has claimed at least 115 lives, though more than 1,100 residents and visitors remain unaccounted for, according to published reports.

Large swaths of the city were completely destroyed.

Maui was under a red flag warning due to a ridge of high pressure impacting the area, combined with winds gusting to 70 mph from Hurricane Dora, which was roughly 1,000 miles to the south when the fire erupted.

The category 3 storm has since dissipated.

The exact source of the fire is under investigation.