Maui Economic Opportunity received $65,900 from this year’s virtual Visitor Industry Charity Walk and raised the third highest amount among nonprofit organizations.
The Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, sponsor of the Charity Walk, made the announcement at a celebration Monday, Nov. 22, at the Maui Beach Hotel. Overall, the Charity Walk raised $1.2 million.
MEO raised $58,984, which was supplemented by $8,915 from the Charity Walk. That amounted to a 15.7 percent gain.
The total was third among nonprofits, behind Halau Ke‘alaokamaile ($69,237) and Hale Makua Health Services ($232,744).
This was the 42nd Charity Walk and the first virtual Walk. The pandemic forced the cancelation of last year’s annual fundraising event for nonprofits.
The online “walkers” included MEO’s Debbie Cabebe, chief executive officer, and Gay Sibonga, chief operating officer. They tallied their walking mileage from Aug. 30 to Sept. 12 on a phone application.
“MEO is so thankful to the donors and the Charity Walk for supplementing our totals,” said Cabebe. “This money is so important to the work we do because it fills the gaps between our 40-plus programs that help low income and disadvantaged residents on Maui.”
This year’s Visitor Industry Charity Walk raised $1.2 million for island nonprofit organizations. A ceremony was held at the Maui Beach Hotel to announce the total disbursements of funds to the nonprofit organizations. Shown holding the check of the Walk fundraising total are (from left) Christine Christensen, Chris Rabang, Debbie Cabebe, Ashley Takitani Leahey, Angela Vento and Mufi Hannemann.
