Historic Maui church needs help after Lala downs branches near graves

KEOKEA, Maui (HawaiiNewsNow) – Days after Hurricane Lala, large, downed branches remain scattered across St. John’s Episcopal Church in Keokea.

Read more First Alert Forecast: Developing storm “Moke” will be south of the islands

Some of them fell by four graves at the cemetery on property.

“You never like to see that happen, because obviously, along with the whole church, it’s sacred ground,” priest George Wong said. “They actually fell in such a way they didn’t damage any grave markers, or obviously, we just want them cleaned up as quickly as possible.”

Wong said cleanup efforts are slowly moving forward because crews have been in high demand, and the church is still repairing damages from the Kona lows.

“We’ve got sort of both those things going on now,” Wong said.

During the March storms, St. John’s got hit with a wall of water that damaged the downstairs area, which housed its preschool and nursery.

“The ongoing work is meant to restore all those rooms back to, probably even better than they were before because they probably needed some updates,” Wong said.

Read more Firefighters respond to brush fire in Wainiha

After Lala, bulky branches blanketed the church grounds, across the parking lot and playground.

“Main thing is no one was injured,” Wong said.

While no structures were destroyed, the church is still seeking volunteers to help clear a large amount of debris.

Church leaders say local generosity has helped keep the ministry a fixture in the community through trying times for 126 years.

“We’ll come out strong and the space will be improved because the repairs are actually going to freshen up the space and make it more inviting,” Wong said.

Read more The Long Game: Kanoa Leahey

If you would like to help the church clean up, call (808) 878-1485.