Save Hawaiʻi's
"Stairway to Heaven"
In August 2021, the Honolulu City Council voted to demolish the iconic Haʻikū Stairs. The vote came despite an overwhelming public outcry to save the Stairs. In the preceding two years, over 5,000 public comments were submitted with more than 90% favoring preservation. A professional public opinion poll in April 2022 confirmed that a clear majority of O‘ahu residents want to save the Stairs not destroy them. The Stairs are a historic World War II monument eligible for the National Historic Register. They offer a unique, world-class hiking experience, treasured for generations. It would be tragic to lose them.
The Friends of Haʻikū Stairs are spearheading the fight to save the Stairs. We filed a lawsuit against the City & County of Honolulu in August 2023 and are pushing to block the demolition on multiple fronts. With your help we will convince City leaders to heed the public will.
Please donate to support our efforts.
Mahalo nui loa for all your help in saving the Stairs!
Pictured: Ted Urquhart
Save Haʻikū Stairs
80th Birthday Fundraiser
Friends of Haʻikū Stairs celebrated the Stairs' 80th birthday in 2022 with a fundraiser and benefit concert. All proceeds raised from both events will fund our campaign to Save the Stairs (learn more below).
Mahalo nui loa to everyone that donated!
You can still donate to help us continue our fight.
About the Fundraiser
Friends of Haʻikū Stairs and our supporters wished the Stairway to Heaven a Happy 80th Birthday with our 2022 Fundraiser! We also held our first ever benefit concert in December to cap off the year and raise funds to support our upcoming initiatives.
Donations to our GoFundMe campaign, concert revenues, and merchandise purchases all contributed to us surpassing our $20,000 fundraising goal for 2022! All those who contributed were entered into our giveaway to win incredible prizes from the Kahala Resort, the Ossipoff Cabin in Pālehua, Creativehemps, Whole Foods, and Natreve (learn more below).
We are so grateful to everyone who donated during this critical time. FHS is currently engaging with experienced legal counsel and expert consultants to stop the removal of the Stairs. We have a solid case, but this will be a tough fight. The support we receive from the community is vital to continue in our mission to Save the Stairs, so mahalo nui loa to everyone who helped us reach our first fundraising goal!
If you would like to help us continue in our work, please consider donating. Any amount helps!
Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to stay up-to-date with all our latest progress and news!
As a result of your generosity, we raised:
$21,029
to Save the Stairs and meet our fundraising goal!
Your contribution supports:
Expanding outreach
FHS volunteers have been at farmers markets, hiking trails, and community events sharing information and gathering Hawaiʻi voter signatures. Our petition drive has collected over 10,000 signatures and counting. However, we must expand our public outreach to combat misinformation and rally community support.
Legal defense
Our legal team is working on a multifaceted strategy to block the City’s removal efforts, recruiting experts to testify regarding threats to endangered species, assessing the impacts of soil runoff on the downstream watershed, and bolstering our historical preservation defenses.
We are also pushing to compel completion of a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). A new EIS would force the City to reopen debate over the future of the Stairs.
Community initiatives
We are working with the Kāneʻohe Neighborhood Board to engage with residents of Haʻikū Valley who have been negatively affected by trespassing. Our goal is to find shared solutions for effective anti-trespassing measures that will help residents and defuse opposition to the Stairs.
Repairs & Restoration
Any residual funds will be put towards repairs and restoration to preserve the Stairs and surrounding environment
About the Giveaway
Friends of Haʻikū Stairs is grateful to have partnered with several incredible businesses who donated prizes for supporters to win while participating in our 2022 Fundraiser! These wonderful businesses made this fundraiser extra exciting, so be sure to check them out to support fellow Stairs lovers.
Visit one architectural gem to save another.
Donors won a unique opportunity to visit the privately owned Ossipoff Cabin in Pālehua, an architectural and historic wonder built by Vladimir Ossipoff. This cabin is not normally open to the public and very few have the chance to take in the awe-inspiring views of the Wai‘anae Mountains, lush forests, and the artistry of the cabin itself.
About the Ossipoff Cabin:
The Ossipoff Cabin was built by legendary architect and trailblazing master of Hawaiian Modernism: Vladimir Ossipoff. Houses he designed for others are celebrated all around the island; however, this is the cabin that he built for himself -- his personal private hideaway to get away from it all. It sits in a
Photo by: John Hook
Photo by: Christine Labrador
Photo by: John Hook
spectacular ridgetop setting in a remote, otherwise inaccessible section of the Waiʻanae Mountains, surrounded by native forest, with panoramic views over the surrounding wilderness.
Gary Gill, your host, is a former City Council Chair. He and his 'ohana are longtime environmentalists. They have recently restored the cabin, winning a Docomomo Residential Design Award of Excellence in 2021, and are still working to restore the surrounding land. Read more about the incredible Ossipoff Cabin in the Honolulu Magazine or Flux Hawaii, and see gorgeous images of the cabin here.
