Hawaii 2 facts for kids
 Hawaii 2
Location in Maine
Hawaii 2
Location in the United States
|
|
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | St. George Lake Liberty, Maine, US |
| Coordinates | 44°23′51″N 69°20′12″W / 44.397418°N 69.336586°W |
| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Administration | |
|
United States
|
|
| Additional information | |
| Hours: 6 am – 8 pm | |
Hawaii 2 (once called Birch Island) is a 6-acre private island in St. George Lake in Maine, USA. This island has a fun and unusual story! It used to be a place where everyone could visit. Then, in 2014, a company called Cards Against Humanity LLC bought it. They did this as part of a special fundraiser for a group called the Sunlight Foundation.
A Popular Spot Before 2014
Before 2014, Hawaii 2 was known as Birch Island. It was owned by the Bedke/Fox Family Trust. Even though it was private land, the owners kindly let the public use it.
Since the early 1980s, people living nearby loved to visit the island. They would go there for picnics, swimming, camping, and even short vacations. It was a well-loved local spot for many years.
How Cards Against Humanity Bought an Island
In 2012, Cards Against Humanity LLC (CAH) raised $70,000 for the Wikimedia Foundation. When they announced this, they joked that they could have bought a private island instead. This joke was about a small island in Belize.
For their 2014 fundraiser, the company wanted to send unique gifts by mail. These gifts needed to be small and light. They remembered their island joke from 2012. So, CAH decided to actually buy a private island! They worked with a real estate company to find one.
CAH had several reasons for buying the island. They wanted to help protect a small piece of wilderness. They also wanted to raise money for charity and, of course, "make people laugh." On October 31, 2014, CAH bought Birch Island for $190,000.
The island is located near Liberty, Maine, in St. George Lake. You can even see it from Maine State Route 3. CAH renamed the island Hawaii 2. They chose this name because, as they said, "it's the Maine island" (a play on words for "main" and "Maine"). Even Google Maps updated the island's name after seeing the official paperwork!
