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People Who Made A Difference

Heroes in every shape and form

As the daughter of a nurse and the sister of an EMT, I’ve always seen health care workers and first responders as my heroes. This year, that’s truer than ever. As emergency rooms and ICUs filled up across the country, and as paramedics, police and firefighters responded to calls unsure of ...

Taking care of us all

Fighting the instinct to save someone without first protecting yourself is one of the hardest adjustments for Maui’s frontline health care workers, a tight-knit group that thrives off community and sacrifice. Before March — when the pandemic began to hit the Valley Isle — putting the ...

Beyond the call of duty

When he swore an oath to protect and serve three decades ago, Lt. William Hankins vowed to keep his community safe. Thirty years later, he remains steadfastly committed to that pledge. Over the course of his law enforcement career, the Maui Police Department veteran has worked in the ...

Paying it forward

At first, Gary Marks thought there had been a terrible accident. Early one morning in mid-July, the longtime Kihei resident ventured out for a cup of coffee. As he drove down Piilani Highway, he passed by a long line of cars pulled off to the side. But as he continued down the highway, he ...

Coming together at the seams

Behind COVID-19’s very dark clouds, there are silver linings. The Maui Face Mask Project is one of them. It was a true labor of love: Over the course of eight weeks, nearly 200 volunteers from all walks of life came together to produce 10,000 medical-grade masks for Maui’s health care ...

Extra scoop of kindness

It’s a sunny Wednesday afternoon and a small, socially distanced crowd is gathered outside the bright green Pastele House Maui food truck in the University of Hawaii Maui College parking lot. Inside, owners Cristina and Devin Pagaduan busily prepare traditional Puerto Rican dishes, everything ...