Across the wide ocean: Onset kids fundraise for Hawaii wildfire victims
Jan 2, 2024
Frank Montrond meets with the kids at their drink stand in support of Maui victims. Source: Tony Montrond
Frank and Tony Montrond, in the blue and orange swearshirts, meet with the kids at their drink stand in support of Maui victims. Source: Tony Montrond
Kids Ruth, Annalise, Kayleith, Grace, Marcelino and Malachi enjoy an afternoon of ceramics painting. Source: Tony Montrond
On Thursday, Dec. 28, Onset resident Tony Montrond treated a family of kids to an afternoon of ceramics painting at the Onset Clay Room.
The kids earned the treat by setting up a lemonade stand this past summer to fundraise for the victims of the Hawaii wildfires. It was a cause close to Tony's heart, as his brother, Frank, lives on the largest of Hawaii's islands.
Wildfires spread across the Hawaii island of Maui, particularly hitting the town of Lahaina, this past August, resulting in around a hundred deaths and significant devastation.
The kids — a group of seven siblings, Kayeith, Annalise, Malachi, Grace, Marcelino, Ruth and Zion — decided to put together the lemonade stand on their own initiative.
"Every summer, we always meant to do a lemonade stand," said Annalise, 12.
The family ran one at other times, said Malachi, 11, and it went well. "Some person, when we were selling in the fall, gave us $40 and didn't buy anything," he said.
Their takings from their other outings gave them spending money as well as cash to re-invest into the stand. When they saw on the news there were wildfires in Hawaii, they saw the stand as their perfect opportunity to help.
"We were like, we could do two things that we want, by just doing a lemonade stand and raising money," said Annalise.
The family set up outside a concert in Onset, and ended up making $340 for donation.
Tony Montrond happened to pass by the stand, going to the concert event — and coincidentally, his brother Frank happened to be visiting from Hawaii.
"They had this raggedy little table with little signs that they made, getting donations for Maui," he said. "I ran back to the bar [and] said, 'Frank, you've got to come see these kids.' "
"It was so nice that those kids did that tribute to Lahaina, Maui," said Frank. "I'm on the big island of Hawaii, but on a nice day I can see Maui from here, and I got some friends that live over there, and I told them about the kids, they all love it."
Barbara Delaney, the kid's grandmother and current guardian, said she "lucked out in the kid department.
"They're so respectful, I am so grateful," Delaney said. "I tell them all the time, ‘You have respect, honesty … and that's all you need.’"
