Red Cross honors county employees for hurricane relief
The American Red Cross honored Johnson County employees on Thursday, January 19, for their financial donations during the 2005 hurricane season and to the Gulf Coast region in response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Michael Tarry, major gifts officer for the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the American Red Cross, Kansas City, Mo., presented a plaque of appreciation to Annabeth Surbaugh, chairman of the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners, during the Board’s weekly business session.
Katrina - Johnson County Deployment
and Fund Raising
The emerging story about Johnson County’s active involvement and commitment in relief and recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina comes down to numbers. The county has compiled a roster with more than 160 employees ready, willing, and able to help in relief and recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region. More than a third of them have been deployed on assigned missions, mostly for two weeks.
In the three months following Hurricane Katrina, Johnson County
government has committed more than two years of work days involving the deployment and return of more than 60 employee volunteers, mostly to Mississippi.In addition, Johnson County has helped to collect more than $67,000 for the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.
Other efforts within the county government community included 12 young men from the Intensive Supervision Probation and Juvenile Justice Authority of Johnson County Corrections stuffing 50 back packs for use by students in Ponchatoula, Louisiana.
They are not alone. Eight 4-H members from the Johnson County K-State Research and Extension Office collected more than five tons of pet supplies in a campaign called the "Bow-Wow and Meow Animal Shelter Drive" to benefit the animal shelter at Morehouse Parish in Bastrop, Louisiana.
A young girls soccer team donated proceeds from snack and lemonade sales during a busy day at a Johnson County Park and Recreation soccer fields to help hurricane victims.
There are many, many other small stories as well, but these are only the highlights of Johnson County’s assistance thus far from the Heartland to the Southland.
And, the county remains ready to help, when requested.