Car wash fights rain to help Katrina victims

Published 12:02 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008

By Dennis Box

The Courier-Herald

During the driving rain Saturday morning, a group of dedicated folks raised money by washing cars in the Applebee's parking lot in Bonney Lake.

The funds were for Amy Rupert's family, whose lives were dramatically changed the day Hurricane Katrina blew threw Gulfport, La.

Rupert was raised in Gulfport where most of her family continued to reside until Aug. 29.

When the storm hit, her mother Sandra Cates was in Gulfport Memorial Hospital being treated for a heart condition.

Also trapped by the storm were her dad Sam, brother Charlie Cates and his family and her sister Beth Heitzman and her family.

Rupert's mother told her she would ride the storm out in the hospital, but once the storm hit, the building was severely damaged.

"I was following the news online and watching TV," Rupert said. "I saw the hospital was severely damaged, but I couldn't get through to talk to anyone. Finally my mom sent a text message saying she was leaving the hospital."

That was the last she heard from her parents for three days.

Rupert's mom and dad were able to make it back to their home. What they found were windows blown out and part of the roof missing.

On the third day, desperate for information about her family, Rupert received a call.

"A gentleman called and asked if my mother was Sandra Cates," Rupert said. "I thought he was calling to tell me they were gone. But he said, 'I've got good news.'"

A photographer from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette had been in Gulfport and snapped a picture of a note Rupert's mother had written on a sheet hung from her front porch. "We R home and OK," it read.

Joshua McGowan saw the picture in the paper and went through the effort of finding Rupert's phone number and called to let her know her folks were alive and well.

"He told me he used to work for the government and still had some contacts," Rupert said.

At 4 the next morning Rupert's mother called.

"They felt like they were one of the lucky ones," Rupert said.

The Cates' house was so badly damaged they had been living on the porch since the storm. Rupert persuaded her parents to come and live with them in Bonney Lake. They arrived Saturday evening.

"They've been living hour to hour since this happened," Rupert said. "It's hard for them to think. I hope they will stay here."

Rupert thinks her two children, Hayden, 9, and Ashton, 2, may help the grandparents decide to stay.

The rest of the family survived the storm, but property damage was heavy. Her sister's house was destroyed and her brother's badly damaged.

"It's terrible," Rupert said. "People are running out of money and they are having trouble getting help."

Rupert said fund raisers are some of the best ways to help people.

Friends from her son's Valley Wolfpack football team helped raise money in the car wash.

The following is an update of efforts around the area to help victims of the Hurricane Katrina:

€ Candy Wells, manager of Shari's Restaurant in Bonney Lake, said 700 gallons of water has been collected in a water drive and will be delivered by truck to the Gulf Coast region.

€ Lakeridge Middle School collected $1,001 in a three-day coin drive and the money will be sent to the American Red Cross.

€ Bonney Lake Elementary School is collecting clothing for families relocated to Fort Lewis due to the storm.

€ Crestwood and Emerald Hills elementary schools are conducting a coin drive and the money will be sent to the American Red Cross.

€ Victor Falls Elementary is planning a car wash.

€ Sumner High School is joining Central Pierce Fire and Rescue collecting supplies and clothing for families relocated to Fort Lewis.

Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.