Former Rotary District Governor Mark Merriam (from left), Director of YMCA West Side Resource Center Jaylou Cabrera, Chief Executive Officer of Maui YMCA Steve Scraggs, Maui Trustee for Rotary D5000 Foundation Mary Albitz and assistant governors for 10 Maui Rotary Clubs Wendy Hornack and Al Weiland gather for a photo during a check presentation at “The Magic of the Rotary Foundation” dinner event. Courtesy photo

The West Maui YMCA Community Center Partnership Park got a boost after receiving $250,000 from the Rotary 5000 Foundation’s Maui Fires Relief Fund.

The announcement came as a big check was presented during a dinner event, “The Magic of the Rotary Foundation,” on Friday at the Central YMCA. Partnership Park will provide a much-needed community meeting and program space to support Lahaina residents’ mental health following the 2023 wildfires, according to Steve Scraggs, chief executive officer of Maui YMCA.

“The Partnership Park concept involves interior spaces for youth development programming, including tutoring, summer camps, and college and career programming,” Scraggs said. “These spaces will double as program space for kapuna programming, cultural programming and mental health services. This space will be shared with multiple nonprofit partners.”

According to the Rotary Club, the Partnership Park will include covered spaces such as the community pavilion and serve as a community gathering hub after many places in Lahaina were destroyed in the fires.

Vegetation including fruit trees will help create a greenspace and produce food, and the money from Rotary D5000 Foundation Maui Fires Relief funds also will support the construction of a dual modular unit that will serve as a youth space, office space, flexible program space and an additional covered area for the community.

One of the facilities already under construction at the West Maui YMCA facility is the Maui Calm Project. The project will provide floatation therapy at no cost to Maui residents, first responders and wildfire survivors.

“This one-of-a-kind park will provide the Lahaina community with a much-needed space to heal,” said Justin Feinstein, founder of Float Research Collective. “There is still so much stress and trauma from the fires, and it brings me great joy to see the YMCA and Rotary come together around mental health.”

The Maui Calm Project also received a $25,000 contribution from the Rotary D5000 Foundation Maui Fires Relief Fund.