Signature Yachts and their Beneteau Rendezvous attendees gave spontaneously and generously to support Maui fire relief.

We recently were made aware of a story that revealed the remarkable character and generosity of a group of Pacific Northwest sailors and the Seattle dealership/brokerage who brought them together. Though the August fires on Hawaii’s island of Maui have smoldered, the devastation and loss of life and property linger on the slow road to healing, recovery, and rebuilding.

That’s why it’s moving to think about the way that Seattle’s Signature Yachts, and the attendees at Signature’s annual Beneteau Rendezvous in Port Ludlow in late August, pooled resources and a spirit of solidarity to raise funds that they shared to support the relief efforts in the aftermath of the Maui fires.

In a press release, Signature reported: “Because of the recent tragic events in Maui, we turned part of our event into a fundraiser for the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund. Some of our customers have a strong connection to the Lahaina community, whether it be through racing in the Vic-Maui Race (of which Signature is a sponsor) or just visiting the area.”

As the rendezvous was taking place only a few weeks after the fires, the decision to center this fundraising effort was a last-minute addition to the already full schedule of fun with the community of Beneteau owners, old and new. Signature was nonetheless able to procure enough auction items to hold both a silent auction and a live auction as a part of the rendezvous dinner on Saturday evening, and it was a a big success. Continuing in their press release, Signature reports, “Through the generosity of our event sponsors and the incredible support of our loyal customers, we are thrilled to share that the silent and live auctions raised a remarkable sum of just over $14,000 for the Maui Strong Fund… We are extremely proud to have been able to contribute to the Maui Strong Fund to help make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.”

Our hats go off to Signature Yachts for taking the initiative to put this important project in motion on short notice. And we’re sure you’ll join us in offering gratitude and admiration to those rendezvous attendees whose collective community spirit led them to donate with such spontaneous and heartwarming generosity.