Fourth Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup
When we committed to the Adopt-A-Highway program, we pledged to host four highway cleanups a year for two years to keep roadside litter from washing into storm drains and reaching Maui’s reefs.
This past weekend, our team suited up in neon safety vests, grabbed our trash pickers, and returned to our designated stretch of Honoapiʻilani Highway between mile markers 22 and 24 for our fourth cleanup of the year. This milestone officially marks the completion of Year 1 of our two-year commitment! But this time, our mission took an unexpected turn from Adopt-A-Highway to Adopt-A-Kitten.
Led by Team Wailea
Spearheaded by our wonderful Wailea crew, the team hit the pavement with full energy. With three previous cleanups already under our belt, our ongoing presence along Honoapiʻilani Highway has made a noticeable dent in roadside debris, but our crew was determined to leave no piece of litter behind.
Equipped with wagon carts, safety gear, snack supplies, and high spirits, our team hit the roadside with purpose.
Maile-Anna (Wailea Store Manager; left) and Marx (Cannery Store Employee; right) passing shakas and snacks to make sure our crew was fully stocked and energized (Photo courtesy of Maile-Anna Santos).
A Purr-fect Highway Rescue & A Full-Circle Moment
While clearing debris along the brush line, Bailee, Assistant Store Manager (left) at our Wailea location, heard faint crying coming from deep inside the bushes. Following the sound, she discovered tiny, abandoned kittens nestled in the brush. Without hesitation, the team rallied to get the kittens safely out of the heat and oncoming traffic.
From roadside cleanup to rescue mission: our team holding the rescued kittens right after pulling them from the brush line (Photo courtesy of Maile-Anna Santos).
Taking community care to a whole new level, Bailee officially adopted two of the kittens on the spot. To make sure the entire trio was taken care of, Nalani, Store Manager at our Lahaina Cannery location, stepped in to find a home for the third kitten. This led to an incredible, full-circle moment for our ‘ohana.
As proud partners of the Maui Humane Society, animal welfare is deeply personal to us. Nalani connected with our Maui warehouse neighbors, whose wife actually works at the Maui Humane Society facility, and they happily adopted the third kitten into their family!
Talk about taking mālama to heart— connecting our highway cleanup, our warehouse neighborhood, and our local shelter partners in one unforgettable rescue.
Big Energy, Big Aloha
Even with an unexpected animal rescue mid-shift, the team kept the momentum rolling and made sure our cleanup goals were fully met. From laughing through potato-sack races in cleanup bags to filling our heavy-duty orange bags with roadside debris, the energy was unmatched.
Who says highway cleanups can't be fun? Featuring Jezza (Wailea Store Employee) and Bailee taking a quick laugh break (Photo Courtesy of Maile-Anna Santos).
Mission accomplished! Team Wailea and the rest of our Maui crew gathered with full bags of roadside debris, celebrating the end of another successful cleanup (Photo Courtesy of Maile-Anna Santos).
Year 1 in the Books: Cleaner Roads, Safer Oceans, and 3 Saved Kittens
Completing four cleanups in our first year shows what happens when our retail teams bring their passion out of the storefronts and directly into the community. Keeping roadside plastic, bottles, and micro-debris out of our watersheds protects the nearshore reefs and marine life that give us so much joy every day.
Wrapping up Year 1 with cleaner highways— and three rescued kittens thriving in warm, loving homes— is easily our favorite cleanup story yet. A huge mahalo to Maile-Anna & Bailee for leading the last cleanup, the entire Wailea crew, and every single team member who showed up throughout the year to sweat under the Maui sun, pick up trash, and protect our island home.
Here’s to four more cleanups as we head into Year 2 of our Adopt-A-Highway pledge!
Want to learn more about our Eco Mission or get involved in our upcoming community volunteer efforts? Reach out to us at aloha@kaialohasupply.com or visit our team in-store!
