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our team

LEADERSHIP

helena lundblad

Founder & Executive Director

Helena Lundblad, Executive Director

Helena Lundblad, originally from Sweden, has always gravitated towards animals of all kinds. She spent much of her childhood around horses, and always had several companion animals in her home. Raised in a small town in the northern part of Sweden, vegetarianism or veganism was never something she was exposed to. It wasn’t until she was studying Public Health Science at the university that she started eliminating meat from her diet. At first it was mainly for health,and environmental reasons, but later on, when learning more about standard practices in animal agriculture, both Helena and her husband, Mathias went fully vegan in 2017 and started advocating for animal rights.

 

Helena moved from Sweden to San Diego 2012, and a few years after that she and Mathias relocated to Hawaii’s Big Island for his work. When searching for the property that would become their home, Helena knew she wanted the space to be able to have animals around her, but starting a sanctuary was never in the plans.

 

It was when an orphaned, four pound, wild goat named Janice came into their lives in 2016 that everything changed. Janice arrived with severe injuries to all of her hooves. It’s unclear exactly what had happened to her, but it appeared she had burnt all her legs. Her injuries caused two of her hooves to fall off, and the remaining two became badly deformed. Janice lived in the house for the first six months of her life while healing from her injuries and learning to walk in prosthetic legs. The bond between Helena and Janice grew very strong during that time – and with that bond also came the realization that, in all the ways that matter, there’s no difference between the species we call pets and the ones we call farm animals. Janice will always hold a very special place in Helena’s heart and is the reason Magical Creatures came to be.

 

Since founding Magical Creatures Sanctuary in January 2018, Helena has worked tirelessly to provide sanctuary to the many farmed animals on the Big Island who need rescue — whether from slaughter or neglect, wildlings who have been orphaned due to hunting or car accidents, or animals with special needs — and continue outreach and education efforts in the community.

Ellie was introduced to Magical Creatures through Workaway and started as an Animal Care Intern in late 2020. With a background in professional services, she has dedicated the last 5 years to supporting the sanctuary and helping it grow. She is currently running onsite operations and volunteer recruitment.

Sanctuary Operations

Ellie Weeks

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Director of Advancement

Facilities Manager

Animal Health Manager

Board of Directors

Lolita Perez Ayala, Board Chair - photo and bio coming soon!

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Danielle Spitz, Vice Chair

Danielle Spitz is New York born and bred. As an only child, she frequently sought the companionship of animals. She met her husband Andrew as a young teen at a horse ranch his family owned and operated. During the years before they went off to college, they rescued and rehabilitated a variety of creatures, domestic and wild. After attending business school at the University of South Florida, Danielle worked in multicultural communications, assisting Fortune 500 companies with their international marketing campaigns. Within a few years, they relocated to Northern California for Andrew to pursue a career in veterinary medicine at UC Davis. Danielle was introduced to vegetarianism by vet student friends and eliminated meat from her diet. Danielle and Andrew then relocated to Santa Barbara, where they began working with ASAP Cats, a nonprofit organization that sheltered cats for Santa Barbara County. They created the Sponsor-A-Cat program in 2000 that is still a part of the fundraising efforts for ASAP Cats today. Danielle and her family relocated to the Big Island in 2012. Living in Waimea, they rescued their first goat kid in 2017, and their small farm quickly became home to other animals in need of assistance. Danielle met Helena and the Magical Creatures team while assisting with the placement of rescued cows and calves from a shuttered dairy. She currently serves on the Board of Directors.

Mathias Lundblad, Secretary/Treasurer - photo and bio coming soon!

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Lucy Codron joined the MCS Board of Directors in April 2023. She has spent her whole career working in the nonprofit and social impact sectors, with experience in grantmaking, development, and philanthropy. Lucy was lucky enough to visit MCS in early 2023 and experience how special the sanctuary is in-person. She fell in love with the residents and was eager to get more involved with the organization. Lucy lives in Kansas City, Missouri with her husband and dog, Rae.

Lucy Codron, Board Member 

Pat VanEvery, Board Member - photo and bio coming soon!

Agnes Horvath, Board Member - photo and bio coming soon!

MORE SANCTUARY TEAM ALL-STARS

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Mailing Address: PO Box 444, Laupahoehoe, HI 96764

© 2018 - 2025 Magical Creatures Sanctuary

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