On September 14th, Cheryle Ku, a high school student from Diamond Bar, initiated a fundraising event to aid the victims and recovery efforts in Maui due to the devastating wildfires. She collaborated with her peers, Jerry Ku, Jacob Chen, Susanna Liang, and Nicolas Liu, to jointly organize a charity sale on September 17th. All proceeds from the event are planned to be donated to the Maui Humane Society and Maui Food Bank.

Cheryle Ku, a senior at Diamond Bar High School, shared her motivation behind this initiative. She and her brother, Jerry Ku, happened to be vacationing on Oahu Island in Hawaii when the Maui wildfires occurred. "The winds were strong, and the weather was terrible. Hearing about the massive fire in Maui was simply unbelievable. Such a beautiful and historic place reduced to ashes," she said. Cheryle, who first visited Hawaii at the age of two, had spent her summers, winters, and spring breaks in Hawaii for the past 15 years. Although her high school years had been busier with studies, she had returned to Hawaii for the first time in two years in August, only to witness the unprecedented wildfire, which has tragically claimed 115 lives and left 66 people missing.

Upon returning to Los Angeles, Cheryle Ku immediately started planning how she could assist the affected communities. Her relief fundraising plan garnered immediate support from several of her peers. Jerry Ku and Jacob Chen joined the planning team right away, assisting in finding sponsors, creating promotional materials, making posters, and donation boxes. Susanna Liang, a new student at Walnut High School, also swiftly joined the team, helping to identify supportive businesses.

Susanna Liang mentioned that her parents had always taught her the importance of helping those in need, and she found participating in this relief fundraising event to be incredibly meaningful.

The youngest member of the organizing team is Nicolas Liu, a 13-year-old 8th grader at Diamond Bar Chaparral Middle School. He expressed his desire to lead his younger brother and friends in this endeavor. "Just like my name suggests, 'Liu' means 'source of water,' I want to give back to society."

Former Mayor of Walnut City, Mary Su Wang, commented on the young group's sense of responsibility and action, despite their tender age. This event is expected to bring together over 100 parents and students from Walnut High School and Chaparral Middle School, along with the support of more than a dozen small businesses from Diamond Bar and Walnut. Together, they are determined to contribute to the rebuilding of Maui Island.

The relief fundraising event will take place at the Walnut City Senior Center and will feature a variety of items for sale, including orchid bonsais, high-quality scarves, clothing, household items, and more.