Mental health services on Maui are getting a large financial boost for children who have lived through the wildfires.
Sentry Insurance announced a new $1 million donation to Maui United Way on Monday. The funds will be used to kickstart their Sentry Keiki Initiative, which is aimed at helping Maui children recover from the trauma of the Aug. 8 fires.
Maui United Way President Nick Winfrey said there was a “significant need” for youth mental health services even before the fires, adding that the crisis has “magnified that need.”
The Sentry, a yearly golf tournament hosted by the insurance company for the PGA Tour, has been played on Maui for over five years.
Sentry Insurance previously donated $1 million to help in fire recovery efforts on the island and plans to give funds from this year's tournament to Maui.
"Maui is our ʻohana, a Sentry community, and in the face of the wildfires, we knew we had to help,” said Pete McPartland, Sentry chairman and CEO.
He said the Malama Keiki Initiative is the company's response to the urgent need for mental health support among Maui’s youth.
