Come to cheer on both the Linfield Men’s and Women’s soccer programs this Sunday, Sept. 24 starting at noon. The first double header of the season will be pink out themed in support of the communities devastated by the fires on Maui. Hui O Lōkahi, also known as the Linfield Hawai’i club, encourages spectators to show support by wearing pink to the Linfield4Maui game.

“Each island in the state of Hawai’i is represented by a flower. Maui has been known to have an abundance of Lokelani roses across the island. Lokelani roses, otherwise known as a Damask rose, are best recognized for their vibrant pink petals,” Taetum Lynn Kalani, a student organizer said. “When representing the island you are from or when dancing hula and sharing a mo’olelo [story] or mele [song] about a specific island, you will often see these individuals wearing the color of the island.”

The island of Maui is amid recovery from the losses suffered from fires that decimated homes, entire communities and impacted the countless families and individuals of Maui, including Linfield students.

“Although many of us do not refer to Maui as our home, we must do what we can to kōkua [help] and support the members of our Linfield ‘ohana [family] who were affected,” Lynn Kalani said.

To spread awareness for the rebuilding effort on the island of Maui, on Sunday the Linfield women’s soccer team will be wearing their pink kits, typically reserved for Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.

“The support from my teammates and the Linfield community means absolutely everything to me. I truly have only made it this far being away from home because of the support from everyone helping me along the way,” Kamahie Samudio, a women’s soccer player from Maui said. “My family and I are extremely thankful for the effort put into this event and it is something I will hold close to my heart. The support shown at Linfield is something I will always be grateful for and will never forget.”

To celebrate these efforts, a Kama’aina Food Truck will be available for spectators to enjoy Hawaiian food at the field prior to kick off! There will also be posted opportunities via QR codes, for spectators to directly help in the rebuild of Maui by contributing monetarily to the Hawai’i Community Foundation’s “Maui Strong fund”. 

Students, faculty, alumni and local McMinnville residents, come be a part of the special Linfield4Maui cause and cheer on Linfield Soccer at home this Sunday at noon. Pack the stands with pink, watch some soccer and learn about a cause close to the hearts of the Linfield community.

“Linfield4Maui is important to me because I was born and raised on Maui. That’s my home, so having my home away from home supports my community means a lot to me,” Kami Echiverri, a women’s soccer player from Hawai’i, said.

For more information on the Linfield4Maui cause or other ways to help, contact @linfield.huiolokahi on Instagram or email them at [email protected]..