The devastating wildfires that swept through Maui left our nation sad and heart-broken for all of the people affected by this tragedy. We felt helpless as homes, schools and the island were lost in just a few hours.
“As Catholics we are called to serve others, meet the needs of the poor and powerless and to care for all God’s creation”, said Kathleen Lyon, Principal, St. Mary-Basha Catholic School. Our students answered the call to support Sacred Hearts School in Lahaina. Sacred Hearts Catholic School was destroyed by the fires with only the Sacred Heart statue remaining on the former school grounds.
As a school, we wanted to help Sacred Heart rebuild. Service to others is an essential part of student life at St. Mary-Basha. Students, faculty and families at St. Mary-Basha are actively engaged in a wide range of outreach and service projects throughout the year including canned food drives, toy drives and sock drives to support St. Vincent de Paul and various local charities.
Rindi Eubanks-Garcia, Vice-Principal and Student Council Moderator stated “We involve all students, Preschool to 8th, in bringing items to donate, organizing drives and learning about the organizations that we are supporting. Students see firsthand that they can make a difference through service. We hope that giving back to our community is a lifelong habit that begins during their time at St. Mary-Basha and they carry on throughout their lives.’
We put our faith into action by organizing a fundraiser to benefit Sacred Hearts School. For a small donation, students wore their best Hawaiian shirts and island attire instead of their regular uniform. It was a fun day for a great cause. Our students raised over $1,300 and our Student Council donated additional funds to round up to $1,500 to support the rebuilding efforts of Sacred Hearts School. With our donation we sent a special message – Aloha a pule mai ke Kula Kakolika o St. Mary-Basha a i ke Kula Sacred Hearts! Translation: Love and prayers from St. Mary-Basha Catholic School to Sacred Hearts School
We were surprised to receive an immediate message from Tonata Lolesio, Principal of Sacred Hearts School, Thank you to everyone at St. Mary-Basha Catholic School for thinking of us in this time of need and holding a fundraiser to help our school. The outpouring of love and support we have received from around the world has been overwhelming. It has been almost two months since this incredible tragedy struck our community, and to receive donations like this is heartwarming.
St. Mary-Basha and our faith community will continue to keep Sacred Hearts School in our prayers and intentions.
To view Sacred Hearts Catholic School of Lahaina story: https://www.shsmaui.org/giving/.
ABOUT ST. MARY-BASHA
St. Mary-Basha Catholic School is a Preschool-8th grade private school located in Chandler, AZ. St. Mary-Basha opened in 1944 and has an enrollment of over 400 students. Visit www.stmarybashacatholic.org.
