MARINE/SINGLE DAD LAVA DISASTER AID

HELP MARINE, SINGLE DAD REBUILD AFTER LOSING TO LAVA

For anyone that knows Kris Burmeister, they will tell you what an incredible stand-up guy he truly is, and what a terrific father he is to his boys, Caden (age 15) and Matthew (age 16), whose mother died suddenly when they were young. As a Marine, Kris, who served over 10 years in the United States Marine Corps, has raised his sons to be great young men. His work ethic and integrity are what makes him stand out most of all. He is smart, friendly, outgoing and won’t quit until the job is done.  A quick “Roger that” from Kris lets you know immediately that whatever it is that needs doing will be taken care of, and that is that.

Kris moved from Oahu to the Big Island of Hawaii in 2013. He built a modest home on an acre of land in the quiet, tropical subdivision of Leilani Estates. It was just up the road from the local surf spot at Pohoiki, a favorite pastime, and close to the nearest town of Pahoa for groceries and gas, and where the boys would attend school. He slowly built his house himself and took much pride in it. He’d most recently built a shed to start housing a lot more tools and supplies needed for his job. Little did he know that Pele would soon be knocking at the door and he would lose what he worked so hard to build.

When the earthquakes first started late in April, Kris was the first one who knew that this wasn’t “nothing” and he started packing and helping others in the neighborhood pack, getting ready, for what no one knew was to come. The day the earth cracked open he was there documenting as even more cracks started forming throughout the neighborhood and area. When the first fissure opened and started spilling lava just 2 blocks from his home, he was there helping people get out of harm’s way, moving their belongings and taking care of others with valor. As the days stretched on, Kris was there still, organizing and moving more and more people and their possessions from early in the morning til late at night, every day. Once the sun went down, he continued and patrolled the neighborhood as part of the Neighborhood Watch. He rescued animals, including 2 sweet dogs and some very furry rabbits that had been abandoned by their owners who had to flee without them a few days before. Those owners were eternally grateful to be reunited with their fur-babies shortly after their rescue. He helped another friend, who was suddenly given an ounce of hope that his home might still be standing, trekking through the jungle from the backside of the neighborhood risking his own life, only to find out that the home had indeed been taken. Days turned into weeks, and all the while Kris’ home remained standing, though the lava inched closer every day, and the scorching steam and S02 and other gasses in Leilani Estates made it an uninhabitable place to live. What was once a beautiful, tropical paradise is now a scorched landscape with all the previously-lush vegetation dead or dying from the gasses, fires and molten lava. A friend let him and the boys and their 2 dogs evacuate to his home in Pahoa-town while he tends to his ailing father on the mainland, and Kris remains eternally grateful for a temporary roof over their heads. He gave and he gave, not knowing if his own home would survive, all day every day.  He did this now in this crisis, as he’s done his entire life with everything: Always giving and putting others before himself.

And then that fateful night came, Sunday, May 27th, and the home that he built for his boys was gone, just like that. It burned and was covered by lava.

Now Kris is the one who needs our help. Please help us help Kris meet his goal of $25K which will go a long way to rebuilding a new home for him and the boys. Every penny counts! Your generosity is very much appreciated. Kris, Caden and Matthew, and all of Kris’ friends thank you in advance from the bottom of our hearts. Aloha.

My name is Jeana Jones and I've created this GoFundMe campaign for Kris Burmeister, who works for me. All proceeds will go directly to Kris to rebuild a home for he and his sons.