<I>The Eagle/Scott Mallory</I><BR>Kathy Johnson, left, talks with Lenora Saul as she makes a donation to help survivors of Hurricane Katrina on Sept. 7 in the parking lot of the Old West Federal Credit Union. In the car is Merle Brown, giving his donation to Jeanne Day. Employees of the credit union took turns at the table. The umbrella was provided by Bryan's Lawn Care. The relief fund was nearly $30,000 on Sept. 12.

JOHN DAY – Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast at about 150 mph, and in its wake it left death and destruction.

Less than two weeks after Katrina left New Orleans under water, money flew out of Grant County pockets with hurricane-like velocity, and it’s heading to Louisiana and Mississippi to provide help and hope for the survivors of what many are calling the worst natural disaster in the country’s history. Katrina came ashore Aug. 29, busting levees and putting 80 percent of New Orleans under water.

A joint effort of Grant County emergency services, employees at the Old West Federal Credit Union and KJDY, the local radio station, pulled in $29,828.80 in donations, much of that in a single day.

Not just money is heading from here to there.

The families of county law enforcement banded together to pack 13 boxes with clothing, uniforms and toiletries, including one box with children’s items, and sent them Sept. 7 to the Madison County Sheriff’s Department in Mississippi.

“Those boxes were stuffed, fully packed,” said Dawn Gray, who help coordinate the effort. She is the wife of John Day police officer Richard Gray.

Law enforcement from throughout the county, including the local BLM officer, donated to the cause.

“All the families got involved, and we are just so grateful,” said Dawn Gray, the secretary at the Baptist Church in Prairie City.

And people, too. At least six nurses from the county left Sept. 4 for the Gulf Coast. Kellie Reid, Karen Westmoreland, Muffett Ricco, Linda Spro-uffske, Erin Workman and Carol McDonald left on a lear jet, courtesy of D.R. Johnson. They are expected back Sept. 16. There are tentative plans to send another group of nurses.

At least one military man with a connection to Grant County is down there. Mike Adams, son of James and Sherry Adams of John Day, is a petty officer aboard the USS Washington.

“The Navy is being shot at,” Mr. Adams said his son told him. “Don’t understand how people who are trying to help are getting shot at.”

There were unconfirmed reports that recent Grant Union High School graduate Sylvia Dowdy went down there to help.

The relief effort by the county and the credit union pulled in $18,000 Sept. 7, the day credit union employees manned a table in the parking lot.

“Pretty proud of Grant County,” said Bruce Carey, who was there to donate $100 from he and his fiancee, Becky Brooks.

Many of the credit union’s employees spent time at the table, taking donations while sitting under an umbrella provided by Bryan’s Lawn Care, including Jeanne Day, Lenore Saul, Christie Dahlen, Kim Wall, Trisha Cox, Rhonda Moore and Carol Waggoner. Dahlen and Moore were the lead organizers of that group. Local residents brought the group cold drinks.

John Boynton, head of the county’s emergency management office, and Sheriff Glenn Palmer helped coordinate the overall effort.

People of all ages donated. One little guy, Taylor, 3, put $25 in the jar.

Kathy Johnson, wife of John Day Fire Chief Ted Johnson, was there to put in her family’s share.

“What if it was us, and we needed help,” Johnson said.

Local schools are involved in the relief effort, too. Grant Union was considering a penny war, and Dayville School was putting jars in area businesses, including Dayville Mercantile, the mini mart, RV park and the antique store, and in John Day at the Outpost and Snaffle Bit restaurants.

At the Snaffle Bit, a guitarist who was playing there put all of his tip money in the donation jar.

Maurice Thorne, Dayville’s principal donated money, and the fifth- and sixth-grade class donated $50 from their jars to Stacie Holstrom’s relatives who were displaced by the hurricane. The class is also writing letters the family’s children. Holstrom works at the Education Service District in John Day.

“It’s become a ritual, with students coming with pennies from home and they can’t wait to put the money in the jar,” said Lori Smith, Dayville School secretary.

The plan was to collect the jars by the end of this week, then send the money next week.

The money collected at the credit union is going to the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the Northwest Medical team, fire and police departments in Louisiana and Mississippi, and to one school in the area.

Student representatives from area schools will get together to decide to which Gulf Coast school the money should be sent.

The money was expected to be sent by the end of this week.