Nine-year-old Maddie Ellner (pictured) sits on duffel bags full of books she brings to the Kihei branch of the Friends of the Maui Library at 95 East Lipoa Street on Wednesday, August 14.
By The Maui News
WAILUKU – Like so many Orange County residents, nine-year-old Maddie Ellner has many fond memories of Maui’s beaches, harbors and mountains, but also a broken heart for all the families who suffered during and after last year’s horrific fires.
She read about the destruction of the Lahaina library and the children who had lost everything. Ellner decided there was something a child like her could do to help. Ellner collected books from her family and friends to replace those lost in the fires or to sell them to raise money to buy new books.
Ellner started small with a few flyers in the neighborhood and then distributed them to her classmates and the librarians at her school, St. Margaret’s in San Juan Capistrano.
The books started arriving quickly. First a few hundred, then a few hundred more. Word spread quickly, and her house was soon filled with over 1,600 books weighing more than 660 pounds. At this point, she hit the brakes as her family figured out how to get all of these books to Maui, to Maui Libraries, and to the Friends of the Maui Library.
After proper planning and discussions with United Airlines, the 10 colorful duffel bags will be ready to be brought to Maui next week as part of the family’s luggage. If all goes according to plan, the books will be delivered to the Kihei branch of the Friends of the Maui Library, 95 East Lipoa Street, on Wednesday, August 14, thanks to the help of Dennis Costa, General Manager of Maui Hills Resort.
Maddie hopes that the children’s books will be passed on to children who lost their own books in the fires.
She hopes others will read about her work, which she plans to continue (since she visits Maui every year), and make their own contributions. Rebuilding is a long-term effort that will continue even after the headlines and newscasts have died down.
Meet Maddie Ellner on Wednesday morning at 10:00 am and bring some books.
