Lahaina Honolua Senior Citizens Club gathers to celebrate holidays : Maui Now

About 50 members of the Lahaina Honolua Senior Citizens Club socialized, won prizes through Bingo and lucky drawings and honored one of their own for turning 90 years old Wednesday in a step toward regrouping and recovering after the wildfires.

The Lahaina Honolua Senior Citizens Club has been an influential part of Lahaina for decades, chiming in on key decisions and issues affecting the community. Before the pandemic, members raised funds for college scholarships for Lahainaluna High graduates by making lei for visitors from cruise ships.

The wildfires on Aug. 8 took a toll on the club, claiming the life of one club member and homes of about 40 members. Members lost sons and brothers and many were forced to scatter to Kula, Nāpili, Central Maui, as well as off-island.

Kai Pelayo, who grew up in Lahaina, was asked to give the keynote speech by the club.

“It would be wonderful to say that life has been improved. It would be wonderful to say that,” said Pelayo, who is Community Affairs Manager for Bayer and an MEO board member. “We have a long journey. And I look around and I am glad I can make it with you. I celebrate the joy of the season. Today, I know what that means,” he said. “I understand what it means to say ‘Merry Christmas.’”

“There is hope,” he continued. “We’re making progress in places. And for me I cannot sit on the back bench and harp. I have to be part of it. I have to step up, and I have to step out to provide some help.”

Much of the gathering was spent honoring Shirley Tobita, a wildfire survivor who turned 90 on the Fourth of July. A graduate of St. Anthony High School, Tobita worked in the pineapple fields, the old Kress Store in Wailuku and the Sheraton Maui.

In retirement, Tobita has been an active member of Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, which burned in the fire. And she was a regular at the monthly Maui Food Bank surplus food distributions.

She was married to James Tobita, who passed in 2021, and has two children and a grandson.

Under the leadership of Arleen Gerbig, club members agreed to continue to meet monthly at MEO, since their regular site, the West Maui Senior Center, burned down. The holiday party was the second gathering of the club since the fires.

Mayor Richard Bissen; Council Members Alice Lee, Tom Cook, Yuki Lei Sugimura, Nohe U‘u Hodgins, Tasha Kama and Gabe Johnson; state Sen. Angus McKelvey; and Leon Bolosan, representing Gov. Josh Green, attended the Christmas Luncheon at MEO in Wailuku.

MEO CEO Debbie Cabebe offered her rendition of “My Favorite Things” from “The Sound of Music,” concluding with the refrain “when I’m feeling sad I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad.”

“I am going to leave that with you,” said Cabebe. “Remember your favorite things.”