On the hillside above Lahaina, a monument to the fallen: One cross for each person lost

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Scores of white crosses line the fence along the Lahaina Bypass. Each one represents a soul lost in the ferocious wildfire that claimed the town.

So far, 115 crosses in all.

Organizers they’ll keep adding to the monument to make sure everyone will be remembered.

Special Section: Those We Lost in Lahaina

“I need to do something,” said West Maui resident Sunya Schlea.

“I need to represent the people that we have lost and it’s going to be so long before people can properly put their loved ones to rest,”

Schlea, her best friend Shawneen Schweitzer and her family have been putting up and painting crosses along the Lahaina Bypass to honor and mourn those killed in the fire.

The crosses aren’t uniform, but as diverse as Lahaina’s victims themselves — older and younger, men and women and children. Each cross, though, is adorned with a single flower.

“We only have few keiki crosses right now. It’s very heartwrenching every night to go to bed knowing we still don’t know about a lot of the children who are left at home as latchkey children while their parents were working. I hope those numbers come out,” she said.

“And I hope their stories are told and their photos are out there.”

The Schlea and Schweitzer ohana say they will keep adding crosses, flowers, and flags to the hillside overlooking the heart of Lahaina, where so many lives were lost on Aug. 8.

Schlea and Schweitzer hope the visual display will bring comfort and healing to those driving into Lahaina and driving out.

“For every missing person, we are putting up a ribbon,” said Schweitzer.

“And if they get found, well, the ribbon will come down and a cross will come up. We don’t want anyone forgotten.”

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