When the Lānaʻi Cat Sanctuary needed to clear and grade three building sites on its four-acre property on Lānaʻi, the nonprofit knew exactly who to call for help.
“The first name that came to mind was Goodfellow Bros.,” said Lānaʻi Cat Sanctuary Executive Director Keoni Vaughn.
As part of a long-planned expansion project, the Sanctuary sought to build three open-air enclosures next to its existing outdoor enclosures. Vaughn explained that the expansion project had been in the works for several years, but it became an urgent priority in the aftermath of the catastrophic Lahaina fire in August 2023.
In partnership with the Maui Humane Society, the Lānaʻi Cat Sanctuary helped rescue 220 semi-feral cats from the Lahaina burn zone; those cats were transported via cargo plane to Lānaʻi. At the time of the rescue operation, the Sanctuary already had more than 660 cats in its care. With the addition of the Lahaina cats, that number grew to nearly 1,000—hence the urgent need for more enclosures to shelter them.
In March of 2024, Vaughn met with Goodfellow Bros. Project Manager Steven Hamilton, who has been working on Lānaʻi since 2021. Vaughn asked if GBI could submit a bid to clear and grade three lots that would eventually house the additional enclosures. To Vaughn’s surprise, Hamilton said a bid wasn’t necessary—GBI would complete the work free of charge.
Months later, Vaughn said he is still floored by GBI’s generosity. “We are truly grateful,” he said. “GBI went above and beyond… they exceeded our expectations.”
On the morning of Monday, March 25, Hamilton, GBI Superintendent Ricky Purdy, and two operators, Mike Jumalon and Paka Purdy, arrived at the Sanctuary. Over the next 48 hours, the team completed the groundwork for the three building sites so the Sanctuary could start building the new enclosures.
But the GBI team didn’t stop there. In addition to clearing and grading the sites, the crew graded, embanked, and graveled a once-grassy area to create a dedicated parking lot for Sanctuary staff and visitors. They also embanked a level rock pad for the nonprofit’s mobile veterinary clinic, which provides onsite care and services.
The Lānaʻi Cat Sanctuary—which Vaughn affectionately calls “The Fur Seasons”—not only provides medical care, food, and affection to the cats that reside there, but also protects the island’s native and endangered birds. Since 2014, the no-kill shelter has been a safe haven for nearly 2,000 feral or unowned cats, more than half of which have been adopted.
The Sanctuary receives visitors year-round—the majority of whom are visitors to Hawai’i — who come to see, feed, and entertain the cats, locally known as the “Lānaʻi Lions.” And that’s exactly what 40 members of the GBI Lānaʻi crew did on Thursday, March 28, when the region held its quarterly crew appreciation barbecue at the Sanctuary. In what was very likely the most memorable quarterly appreciation event to date, the GBI crew toured the facility and fed, cuddled, and played with the cats.
Like so many other nonprofit organizations, the Lānaʻi Cat Sanctuary relies heavily on donations to continue its good work. GBI’s willingness to help the nonprofit, Vaughn said, “Was so incredibly generous and demonstrates the lokomaikaʻi that embodies the Goodfellow Lānaʻi team.”
“Although our contribution may have been small, it held great significance for the sanctuary, and we are truly grateful to have been a part of it. Our team on Lānaʻi is made up of dedicated GBI employees from across the islands—Big Island, Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi—and we’re honored to be embraced as part of the Lānaʻi community. When opportunities arise to give back, we’re always ready to step forward and lend a helping hand with gratitude and pride. This work for the Sanctuary is just one of the many ways we’re privileged to serve this community we cherish.”
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