Heroes
Thursday, September 29th, 2005While Hurricane Rita has, by and large, been dismissed by the media as a paltry shadow of Katrina, it’s still affected thousands of people.
One branch of my company has a PVC resin plant in Lake Charles, Lousiana—one of the cities hardest-hit by Rita. Several people stayed behind at the plant to ensure that somebody would be available to take care of emergencies should the storm cause enough damage that a chemical spill was possible. Five people lived in the wind-damaged, rainsoaked structure for several days, surviving on meager rations and with just a tiny bit of electricity provided by a generator. Hearing this, the president of our company asked that our plant put together a load of supplies—food, water, blankets, bedding, propane lamps, and chainsaws to clear fallen trees—and take it to the Lake Charles plant. Our Plant Manager and Die Mechanic bought a trailer, loaded it up (with the help of as many people as could spare a minute from their daily duties), and left within scant hours.
They drove eight hours straight, unloaded the equipment, and drove eight more hours to return home, encountering countless National Guard checkpoints, fallen trees and power lines, and mile after mile of deserted and pitch-black towns and cities. They did this without complaint, without hesitation.
Altogether, we put together about $10,000 worth of supplies that you and I would consider essential, which the people in Lake Charles were doing without, and we did so in less than an hour and a half. Then, two men with families and duties of their own, who had already been at work since 5:00 AM, set aside their comfort and concerns and spent the day helping others in a tangible, measurable way.
These people rock. I’m proud to work with them and for them.