Lahaina Town Action Committee Inc

LAHAINATOWN ACTION COMMITTEE PROMOTES, PRESERVES, AND ENCOURAGES THE HISTORICAL, CULTURAL, SOCIAL, COMMERCIAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL VITALITY OF LAHAINA. ACTION IS AN APT MIDDLE NAME FOR LAHAINATOWN ACTION COMMITTEE (LAC), WHICH WAS FORMED BY BUSINESS OWNERS AND RESIDENTS IN 1998 TO PRESERVE THE HISTORIC INTEGRITY, RE-KINDLE THE SMALL TOWN ATMOSPHERE AND PROMOTE UNIQUENESS OF LAHAINA. LAC IS A 501(C)(4) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. LAC IS PRIMARILY SELF FUNDED THROUGH MEMBERSHIP DUES, EVENT REVENUE, AND PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT SALES AND IS PRO-ACTIVE, RESULTS-ORIENTED, ENTREPRENEURAL, NON-PROFIT WITH WIDE SPREAD COMMUNITY SUPPORT.

LAC IS KNOWN FOR THEIR LARGE SCALE EVENTS WHICH ARE WELL ORGANIZED, WELL PUBLICIZED AND WELL ATTENDED BY THE PUBLIC. LAC EVENTS ARE INCLUDED IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, AS WELL AS LOCAL AND STATEWIDE MEDIA. THE LAC OFFICE RECEIVES MANY CALLS FROM VISITORS PLANNING THEIR TRIP TO MAUI TO COINCIDE WITH A SCHEDULED EVENT. PAST LAC EVENTS INCLUDED: CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION, MAUI PLEIN AIR PAINTING INVITATIONAL, OCEAN ARTS FESTIVAL, BANYAN TREE BIRTHDAY PARTY, INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CANOES, KAMEHAMEHA CELEBRATION, HO'OLAULE'A, OLD-FASHIONED FOURTH OF JULY, MAUI CHEFS, A TASTE OF LAHAINA, THE BEST OF ISLAND MUSIC, HALLOWEEN IN LAHAINA, HOLIDAY LIGHTING OF THE BANYAN TREE, HE U'I CULTURAL ARTS FESTIVAL AND FRIDAY NIGHT IS ART NIGHT. IN ADDITION TO ITS EVENTS, LAC ACTS AS A LIASON AND ADVOCATE FOR LAHAINA BUSINESSES. AFTER THE TRAGIC LAHAINA FIRE ON 8/8/23, LAC IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO ACTION TO SUPPORT LAHAINA BUSINESSES. FIRST TO ENSURE BASIC NEEDS WERE MET AND WORKING WITH OTHER NON-PROFITS TO DISTRIBUTE SUPPLIES TO THOSE IMPACTED; LATER ORGANIZING BUSINESS COMMUNITY MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. LAC CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE FOR FUNDING FROM BOTH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR TO HELP LAHAINA BUSINESSES SURVIVE AND ULTIMATELY REBUILD.

IN RESPONSE TO THE AUGUST 2023 LAHAINA FIRE, LAC WORKED WITH OTHER NON PROFITS, THE COUNTY OF MAUI AND THE STATE OF HAWAII ON THE KOKUA FOR MAUI INITIATIVE. IT AIMS TO SUPPORT AND UPLIFT LOCAL MAUI-BASED BUSINESSES BY PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND THEIR NETWORK AND CUSTOMER BASE, WHILE PRESERVING MAUI'S HERITAGE AND SHARING ITS CULTURE AROUND THE STATE. THIS PLAN INCLUDES A DIVERSE STRATEGY CONSISTING OF SMALL-BUSINESS FAIRS, AN ONLINE HOST PLATFORM AND MORE. WITH A GENEROUS GRANT LAC PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR 108 MAUI VENDORS TO APPLY TO GO TO HAWAII ISLAND, OAHU AND KAUAI WITH A PLAFORM TO SELL THEIR GOODS AND NETWORK ON DIFFERENT ISLANDS AT 5 EVENTS AT FOUR LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE ISLANDS. THE VENDORS WERE PROVIDED AIRFARE (UP TO 2 ROUND TRIPS), LODGING AND DISCOUNTSON RENTAL CARS AS WELL AS MARKETING AT THE EVENTS.