Volunteers sort donated supplies to distribute to victims of the wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii, on August 12. AFP
Volunteers sort donated supplies to distribute to victims of the wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii, on August 12. AFP
Volunteers sort donated supplies to distribute to victims of the wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii, on August 12. AFP
Volunteers sort donated supplies to distribute to victims of the wildfires in western Maui, Hawaii, on August 12. AFP

Celebrities send help and love to those affected by Hawaii fires


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Actors and musicians are sharing their heartbreak and sending support to wildfire-damaged areas in Hawaii's island of Maui, as the death toll reached 96 on Monday.

"I'm completely heartbroken over this and I know all of you are too," actor Dwayne Johnson said in an Instagram video.

Johnson also wrote about the "complete destruction and devastation that has hit our Hawaiian islands – our island of Maui".

The actor, who provided the voice of the demigod Maui in the Disney film Moana, said he had been speaking with organisations there and would continue to get as much information as possible, as "there's so many needs" to meet.

"Everything that I've seen transpire over these past couple of days, everything that continues to transpire hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute, it's all heart-breaking," he said.

Johnson lived in the Hawaiian capital Honolulu as a child.

The Maui blazes are now the deadliest US wildfire event in more than a century.

Oprah Winfrey on Sunday visited an emergency shelter on the island to highlight the plight of those who were forced to leave their homes, Hawaii News Now reported. Winfrey is a part-time Maui resident.

She warned that news crews would eventually leave the destruction and the world would move on.

"We’re all still going to be here trying to figure out what is the best way to rebuild … I will be here for the long haul, doing what I can," Winfrey said.

She said she had delivered personal-hygiene products, towels and water in recent days, and that the most pressing matter was finding places for people to stay.

Action film star Jason Momoa, a native of Hawaii, has been posting actively on Instagram about the damage suffered in the US state.

Momoa has also warned people not to travel to Maui for holidays as the local community reels.

Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks posted a letter on Instagram: "My house and the surrounding area was not burned … the end result could have been very different.

"The Lahaina that we knew, the Lahaina that in many ways connects Fleetwood Mac and our music to the world, is gone. But my memories of everything that happened to me there is clear as a bell."

Mick Fleetwood described the "catastrophic" effect of wildfires on Maui, where he lives. His Fleetwood's on Front Street restaurant was also destroyed in Lahaina.

Fleetwood, who was in Los Angeles visiting family when the fires broke out, immediately chartered a plane and flew back to Hawaii, bringing home relief supplies.

He also spoke about the issue of climate change.

"I think there are always lessons to be learnt and they are all about personal experience and a quiet reverence to keeping our eyes and ears open to the world that we live in," Fleetwood told Sky News.

"And for too long not living with a continuum of regret, regret, regret."

Agencies contributed to this report

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“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.

Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.

He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.

Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”

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Updated: August 14, 2023, 8:08 PM