Maui to Receive Spam 'Convoy of Hope' After Devastating Fire

Canned-meat brand Spam has pledged to send its trademark food to the Hawaiian island of Maui to bring comfort to displaced residents, after being "at a loss for words seeing the devastation" caused by a number of large wildfires.

Donations to the recovery effort there have been flocking in, including on paddle boats, after the local authority warned of limited supplies in the early stages of the disaster last week. On Monday, state officials said non-perishable foods were among the items in greatest demand.

Hawaii consumes 7 million cans of Spam a year—the most per capita of any U.S. state—and the meat product has become part of the local cuisine. It is even served in McDonald's and Burger King fast-food outlets on the islands.

The canned pork meat became popular in Hawaii during World War II, when it was sent to American troops fighting in the Pacific. It has since given birth to local dishes such as musubi, which uses fried slices of the meat in sushi akin to nigiri.

In a statement on Thursday, the food brand said it was "working with our trusted partners on how we can help." It added that humanitarian organization Convoy of Hope was "swiftly helping us to bring food to the island."

"We will continue to stay connected with our partners on the islands and ask all of our fans to continue to surround Maui with support and love," the statement read.

Large bush fires on Maui caused power outages, mass evacuations and extensive destruction to the historic resort town of Lahaina. The fires broke out early last week and spread rapidly on hurricane-driven winds from a passing storm.

So far, 106 people have been confirmed as dead and more than 1,000 remain unaccounted for as emergency responders comb burned homes for human remains. Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79—both Lahaina residents—have been identified among the dead. A further three bodies had been identified, but their names have not been released while their families are being notified.

In the latest update, County of Maui officials said that the fire around Lahaina—which spanned an estimated 2,170 acres—was 85 percent under control, with multiple fire crews monitoring it. Another blaze on the island is now entirely contained, while a third was 75 percent so.

"They are truly our family, they're our friends and they bring this brand to life," Jennesa Kinscher, senior brand manager at Spam, told ABC 6 News on Tuesday. "Now is our time to let our ohana [Hawaiian for 'family'] on Maui that we see them, that we love them, that we're supporting them."

A spokesperson for Spam told Newsweek that more than 264,000 cans would be sent to Maui, in a variety of flavors including classic and lower sodium. In a statement on Thursday, the brand said three truckloads were already on the way, with two more to come.

Spam said it also made a monetary donation to one of the food banks operating on Maui because, Kinscher told Forbes magazine, "we also understand the needs are bigger than just food," and that its total donations had a value of $1 million.

On Thursday, the company also released a fundraising T-shirt, with the proceeds being donated to a relief fund.

Instead of sending Spam, restaurants on the West Coast have been using the meat product specifically in their dishes to raise money for Maui.

KGW8 reported on Friday that GrindWitTryz, a Hawaiian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, was serving the ham product in musubi to donate the proceeds to a foundation involved in the recovery effort.

In Seattle, the restaurant group Marination ran a "Musubi for Maui" fundraiser, which raised $30,000 in a weekend, according to Forbes.

The brand itself says that the demand for Spam in Hawaii is "unmatched by any place in the world" and has become "a fixture for breakfast, lunch and dinner" in the islands' cuisine.

On Oahu, the island on which Honolulu sits, there is an annual festival called the "Spam Jam" in which restaurants compete to serve new, original dishes featuring the canned meat.

Update 8/17/23, 11:34 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from a Spam spokesperson.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

");jQuery(this).remove()}) jQuery('.start-slider').owlCarousel({loop:!1,margin:10,nav:!0,items:1}).on('changed.owl.carousel',function(event){var currentItem=event.item.index;var totalItems=event.item.count;if(currentItem===0){jQuery('.owl-prev').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-prev').removeClass('disabled')} if(currentItem===totalItems-1){jQuery('.owl-next').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-next').removeClass('disabled')}})}})})

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7HWrK6enZtjsLC5jqaYrqFdna64rciiZLChnJu2s7HSZqqpmZ1isLC61aiwZqCfpbJufZdrZ2psZQ%3D%3D