Red Cross sees area's generosity

The spirit of giving still is thriving in North Idaho.

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks resulted in an outpouring of money and good will from the citizens of Kootenai, Benewah and Shoshone counties the local Red Cross has not seen before.

According to Edie Brooks of the Red Cross, roughly $217,295 has been raised since the tragedy.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe alone donated $25,000. Schoolchildren have donated money from lemonade stands and other fund-raisers.

According to Donna Messenger, the track coach at Lake City High School, District 271 raised $12,000, with $3,200 coming from LCHS.

"LCHS had a recycled T-shirt sale, car wash, bake sale and a penny jar," Messenger said. "At one football game, a portion of all the proceeds went to the Red Cross penny jar."

At Lakeland High School in Rathdrum, parent Sandy VonBehren organized a car wash four days after the disaster and raised more than $1,400. Seventeen girls from Lakeland's varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams showed up with their own hoses, buckets and towels and worked from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Wells Fargo parking lot in Rathdrum.

"We had cars lined up four across all day," VonBehren said. "The community really supported this. If they didn't have time to wait, they just dropped off money. One person dropped off $500. Several donated $20 and $50 bills. The girls washed cars, boats, trucks and even a huge horse trailer."

The team members were scheduled to work in shifts, but the first shift couldn't leave because they were so busy, so they all stayed. Wells Fargo donated the use of its water and parking lot.

"The teamwork we saw was nothing less than we see on the court every week," VonBehren said. "As parents and coaches, we are even prouder that our girls used this special teamwork to benefit such a worthy cause."

On the volunteer front, six disaster services volunteers from the American Red Cross of Idaho have accepted assignments in New York City.

Sarah Farnsworth and Colleen and Bill Stevens, all from Lewiston, and Sean Farrell of Boise will serve as family service technicians. Family service involves working with the families affected by the disaster, assessing their immediate and longterm needs.

Farnsworth will join her husband, Lynn, who is already in New York. She is a veteran of the Montana wildfires of 2000 and Hurricane Georges in 1998. The Stevenses served in the Iowa floods of April 2000 and Hurricane Floyd in 1999. This will be Farrell's 13th national disaster assignment.

Cynthia Schulze of Rathdrum has been assigned as a mental health counselor. She previously worked with victims of 1999's Hurricane Irene. Linda McGuire from Eagle is a certified mental health counselor and captain of the disaster mental health team for the American Red Cross of Greater Idaho, southwest branch. She served in the West Virginia floods in July.

The departure of these volunteers brings the total to 118 disaster service volunteers from Idaho serving in connection with the Sept. 11 tragedies.

The public should feel confident that money donated to the Red Cross is going where it's needed, Brooks said. She emphasized that her agency brings in auditors to make sure the money goes where the donor wants it.

"We had an unusual call from a woman who was under the impression that some of the money was staying here," Brooks said. "It is going to the East Coast disaster unless they specify that they want some of it left here."

Copyright 2001 Cowles Publishing Company
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