Destiny 2 players who want to show their support for those impacted by devastating wildfires in Maui can now contribute via a link on the Bungie Foundation website to get a specially-designed shirt and emblem as part of a special fundraiser to support Direct Relief. All proceeds from T-shirt sales will go directly to the nonprofit Bungie partner organization, which is actively delivering medical kits and conducting rescue operations throughout Maui and Honolulu.
Each shirt purchase includes a code for the specially-created Kūlike Kākou emblem (Hawaiian for “Stand Together”). Guardians who purchase the shirt can collect their emblems via email after September 5, 2023.
The shirt — which Bungie created in conjunction with the Asians@Bungie employee-led diversity and inclusion group, and a local artist from Oʻahu named Brady Evans — features a Ghost above mountains, representing Mauna Kahālāwai (West Maui Mountains). The Ghost projects a hologram of Maui, and a Tti leaf (lāʻī) lei adorned with the ‘aʻaliʻi plant surrounds the hologram.
"The lei is a common symbol of respect, love, and aloha with the lāʻī traditionally used to ward off bad spirits, cleanse, bless, and heal people. The ʻaʻaliʻi is an indigenous plant to Hawaii whose seeds can endure fire and are some of the first plants to grow back in burned areas," Bungie said in its most recent TWID announcing the fundraising effort. "Great care was taken to ensure this art properly represents the culture and spirit of Hawaii," the developer added on the Bungie Foundation Twitter account.
In the hours after the TWID release, Guardians were so eager to support that the website crashed, with those who accessed it getting a "You are now in line" message instead. At the time of writing, Bungie was working to resolve issues with the fundraiser link.
The wildfires, fueled by hurricane-force winds that crossed Maui, have destroyed parts of Hawaii's historic town of Lahaina. More than 100 have lost their lives, and many more remain unaccounted for at this time.
