To Anyone Who Stumbles Upon This Blog.....
Yes, usually it is about good food and health tips, however at times I feel the need to post personal things for no other reason than to document them. I always plan on keeping them private, but then I realize what a great community I live in and I want to share it with you...I hope you don't mind! Forgive me....I have about 6 months to catch up on!!! Here goes.....
On May 20th 2013 an EF5 Tornado Struck with peak winds estimated at 210 mph struck Moore, Oklahoma, killing 24 people, including 10 children. The tornado damaged or destroyed 1,200 homes and affected 33,000 people.
What can we do??? How can we help??? It's not as close as NJ, but there must be something we can do.....
I heard it! A few days later, on our local radio station 101 The Rose a DJ shouts out for help.....he vows to collect supplies from the community and to drive them to Oklahoma himself! Well, a local trucking company and a local bus company heard him say it....they called in to tell him they were donating an 18 wheeler and a driver and a coach bus and a driver. Wow. Amazing snowball effect, right? You just wait!
So we started collecting, again! Friends, family, neighbors and coworkers so generously started dropping off supplies. So here is what the back of my SUV looked like!
I then received a call from my girl Sam who said "Stace, Billy (her king) and I are collecting supplies and loading them up all day on Sunday June 2nd with Rose Radio...wanna help?" DO WE EVER!!!! Leave it to her and her family to ALWAYS go above and beyond.
On Sunday, June 2nd volunteers, donors alongside of 92.7 KZF and 101 The Rose will team up to help out those affected by the Oklahoma tornados!
So we headed over to a local grocery store parking lot and LOADED THAT BUS....and the top of the bus, and the bottom of the bus, and the aisles, AND THE 18 WHEELER!
The kids labeled the boxes and wrote well wishes and kind words to the families that will receive the supplies!
We had so much fun with Dennis and Holly and all the other DJ's that helped out!
Unbelievable.....we filled every square inch of that 18 wheeler with donations made from the community! We had complete strangers donating items and still taking the time to ask..."what else do you need? I will run to the store for you and donate more". I.E. sharpies and box tape, lol!
We filled grocery carts with donations and separated them into boxes....oh that's right! We ran out of boxes and guess what?? Lowes heard that on the radio and brought over a ton of boxes....so did Stauffers, the local grocery store! See the snowball effect again?
Of course the little boys had a blast loading the bus....and eating hot dogs....YUCK!
Wait Wait Wait......you're a Radio DJ, not a bus driver....who let you behind the wheel??? Sheesh!
43,000 POUNDS OMG....that is what the 18 wheeler weighed at the first weigh station!!!! CRAZY!!! Four times what they wanted to collect!
Some personal photos from Bryan's facebook page that he allowed me to share with you....here is what he saw first hand....
Complete devastation for miles.....
Rest assured Oklahoma...Sam, Billy, 101 The Rose, 92.7 and all the folks in 717....are here for you!!!
Honored to know them! Love them dearly!
I always say it doesn't feel like we make a dent....but I truly know we do....even if it's only a tiny one, it's still a dent, right?! Tragic events like this will forever change those lives affected by it...at some point in everyone's life, they will be given the opportunity to help, to make a difference, to make a change....make it your choice to take that opportunity and GIVE HOPE.....Change something for the better.... DO YOUR PART!
Hugs,
Stacey
