Maui Wildfires: Collin Morikawa Pledges $1,000 For Every Birdie He Makes During FedEx Cup Playoffs To Aid Recovery Efforts
- Wildfires have burned Maui and destroyed more than 1,700 buildings.
- Morikawa’s grandfather owned a restaurant in Lahaina, where fires raged
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Collin Morikawa has pledged to donate $1,000 for every birdie he makes in the FedEx Cup playoffs to help recovery efforts following the deadly fires that have devastated Maui.
The golfer’s grandparents were born in Lahaina, the historic Maui town that has been devastated by fires that have claimed at least 53 lives. He still has relatives on Maui.
“I think they’re fine, but just to listen… I woke up this morning, just checking the news, and to see how many people have died because of it, I was speechless,” Morikawa. saying.
Morikawa, who won the PGA Championship and the Open two years after graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, began the FedEx Cup playoffs Thursday with six birdies in his first round of 65 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. .
She posted her relief effort on Instagram Thursday morning, and at the end of the day, she decided to send the money raised to two Hawaiian charities: Maui United Way and World Central Kitchen.
Collin Morikawa pledged $1,000 per birdie in the FedEx Cup playoffs to help Maui relief efforts
Wildfires have burned across Maui, destroying more than 1,700 buildings and claiming lives
Morikawa grew up in the Los Angeles area, but said her father used to spend summers in Lahaina because her grandparents were there.
The Morikawa restaurant closed several years ago, although a local man found a matchbook from the restaurant on eBay a few years ago and worked through the PGA Tour and Sentry Tournament of Champions in Kapalua to deliver it to him.
It is devastating what we have been seeing. The before and after photos are just heartbreaking, knowing that my father’s entire family grew up there,” he said.
‘My grandparents were born in Lahaina. That’s where we had the restaurant. That was the photo. We used to go there as children. It is a special place.
Morikawa’s grandparents were born in Maui’s historic district, which has been hit hard.
“It’s amazing how much you really take for granted in life, and when you see that, it’s just heartbreaking.”
Morikawa is hoping that other people will join his promise by contributing to their birdies. He still has 11 rounds left and said a friend sent him a text saying that he maybe he could make $100,000.
“Look, it’s one of the best places in the world that we travel to year after year to go to Kapalua, play golf there,” he said. ‘I know I’m going to ask my sponsors, I’m going to ask people I know to help me.’
‘Anything helps: no matter how much birdie you make, what you can afford, what you want to put in. I’m going to try really hard to make those birdies, and hopefully everyone else can step up and help as much as they can. ‘
