Question of the day
Tuesday, Nov 19, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Despite their town being devastated by a tornado on Sunday, Washington High School’s football team is still scheduled to play a Springfield team on Saturday in the Class 5A playoff semifinals. The game will be played in Springfield and the coaches have been talking…
“We’ve talked with (Washington coach Darrell Crouch) and their athletic director (Herb Knoblauch),” [Sacred Heart-Griffin High School football coach Ken Leonard] said. “We want to know what we could do as a team and a school to help with what their needs are.
“It’s tough. They’re human beings with needs. I have some relatives of mine in Washington, and all of them are safe, so that’s good. But we want to help.”
Leonard said one clear need for Washington fans is transportation after their vehicles were damaged or became inaccessible because of the storm. He said SHG has secured at least two charter buses to transport Washington fans to the game, and attempts are being made to get more buses.
“We’re going to feed their team before the game and afterward,” Leonard said.
I’ve seen other heartwarming stories as well about Sunday’s tornado storm, as I’m sure you have.
* The Question: So far, what’s the most touching story you’ve seen on the Sunday tragedy? Links aren’t mandatory, but they’d help.
- Don't Worry, Be Happy - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 2:14 pm:
http://www.wunderground.com/news/man-finds-missing-dog-illinois-tornado-rubble-20131118
- Chavez-respecting Obamist - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 2:21 pm:
http://wgntv.com/2013/11/18/donations-collected-for-philippines-headed-for-tornado-ravaged-illinois/
- Ghost - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 2:24 pm:
There was a story this morning about a man who returned to his destroyed house and found his cat in the basement who he thought had been lost as well.
- Michelle Flaherty - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 2:27 pm:
Talk about bad timing. SHG’s team name is the cyclones.
http://www.shgfootball.com/
- MJM - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 2:29 pm:
Thank God Steve Brown is OK.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 2:32 pm:
Go Panthers!
- Empty Chair - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 2:36 pm:
This was probably the wrong post for that link. Sorry if I upset anyone.
- And I Approved This Message - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 2:58 pm:
Washington is the Sun-Times Mark Brown’s hometown. He writes about going there Monday and seeing family. http://www.suntimes.com/23846914-761/news-of-tornado-in-my-hometown-knocked-the-air-right-out-of-me-brown.html
Another Sun-Times story about an 82 year old woman who couldn’t make it to the basement because of recent surgery. So she got her cat, went to the living room, sat down on a bench and closed her eyes:
http://www.suntimes.com/23833162-761/tornado-survival-tales-when-she-opened-her-eyes-the-roof-was-gone-most-of-the.html
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 3:03 pm:
Dog found Alive in Debris of Washington Home:
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Tornado-Survivor-Has-Heartwarming-Reunion-After-Finding-Dog-Buried-in-Debris-232513011.html
- anon - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 3:09 pm:
One Statehouse reporter had a personal stake in the disaster
http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20131118/news/711189695/
- Commonsense in Illinois - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 3:14 pm:
Don’t Worry had mine…
- Siyotanka - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 3:17 pm:
As I live close to Washington, IL…we are getting as many chainsaws, generators (240V) and other supplies that we can. We are organizing “work” crews to come in and remove as much debris as we can, with the homeowners approval. This will take a long time to overcome…and as we are moving into the winter season, this does not help a well…prayers are needed…
- PublicServant - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 3:22 pm:
Sorry, Don’t Worry, I saw it when it was picked up by NBCNews.com, but better repeated anyway.
- Wensicia - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 3:22 pm:
“Storm-scattered mementos find their way home through Facebook”
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-tornado-facebook-page-20131119,0,7678126.story
- Joe Bidenopolous - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 3:37 pm:
Ditto Wensicia’s link - the first match the facebook page was a 40th anniversary photo found 80 miles away…and stuff had been found up to 140 miles away or something crazy like that.
For some, all they will have left is what they can gather. This will help some retain memories, even if it’s just a few.
- Jimbo(JF) - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 4:17 pm:
There is a group called tech-geeks made up mostly of people who provide tech support in Illinois schools. A member of the group lost his house in Washington so the group created a fundraising site to help him and his family. The site is: https://www.youcaring.com/tech-geeks thus far we have almost raised $3,000. Geeks helping Geeks
- Nearly Normal - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 4:17 pm:
Schools in BloNo are doing fundraisers,UHigh who got beat by Washington are helping their former rivals by feeding them when the team comes to ISU to practice on their field which is also U High’s home field.
http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/events-forming-to-help-tornado-victims/article_fe34af34-5068-11e3-94fe-001a4bcf887a.html
- Amalia - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 4:21 pm:
the coach lost his house. still leading the team. amazing.
- Nearly Normal - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 4:30 pm:
Sorry about the bad grammar and run-on sentence in the previous post. It has been a long day.
- Robert the Bruce - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 4:46 pm:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Washington-IL-Tornado-Recovery/361545887315736 is doing an incredible job of coordinating exactly what is needed and where it is needed. Seems like the community is really coming together.
- Jeff Trigg - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 5:45 pm:
Washington is my hometown, class of ‘88, go Panthers. Hundreds are without homes, but I’m hearing that neighbors and friends are making sure everyone has a roof over their head for now. Almost everyone in that great little town is sharing their homes, cooking meals, car pooling, digging through rubble for memories and finding lost cars, taking pictures for insurance needs and sharing computers and phone and internet, and all the little things that need done.
It’ll be a long fight, but Washington can recover. There will be many families that take a huge financial hit from this disaster, no doubt. I’d like to see victims of the disaster get an exemption from the state income tax for a year to help them rebuild their lives. A federal exemption for a year would also help those families. We shouldn’t take income from people that need help.
- Just The Way It Is One - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 6:56 pm:
Great, touching story in this past Monday’s Chicago SUN-TIMES (on page 4 maybe?) about an older man and his wife’s survival in their home Downstate, and his initial stubborness about needing to take cover downstairs (which she must’ve talked him into real fast!), and how the Tornado slammed their home within minutes hit after she returned from Church and the store. Sorry, don’t have the Paper anymore to share the title, though.
Also, a great and uplifting story of Christian Faith about a small Congregation huddled together in the Christian Life Assembly Church in Diamond, Illinois as the Tornado ripped right by them, as well as other vignittes of stories of inspiration and hope as shared by our Brother/Sister Illinoisans. I saw it in the SOUTHTOWN STAR on November 18, 2013, entitled “Victims pick up the pieces after Sunday’s tornado.”
- Just The Way It Is One - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 7:00 pm:
Sorry, that was meant to read “…within minutes and hit…” as well as “vignettes” up above…!
- Bobio - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 7:01 pm:
I was glad to hear of the relatively small loss of life and I’m also heartened by the close proximity of the storm to Bloomington IL, home of two of the States top insurers, state farm and Country. It should really help with the claim and rebuilding process.
- Former Newfie - Tuesday, Nov 19, 13 @ 8:35 pm:
The one online of the family who survived a direct hit but couldn’t find the family dog who was the father’s constant companion. They finally found it buried under some rubble and it needed some vet work but will be ok. The look on the man’s face as he hugged the dog was heart-breaking.
- downstate demo - Wednesday, Nov 20, 13 @ 8:51 am:
In words of one of mine favorite movies….
We Are Washington….
It is great SHG is stepping to help