Trucks for Los Angeles grassroots hurricane aid effort finally get rolling
By: Associated Press - | ∞
LOS ANGELES -- Independent truckers volunteered Thursday to haul canned food, bottled water and medical supplies to Louisiana in a grassroots effort to aid Hurricane Katrina victims after several big-rigs failed to show.
Three trucks bearing the supplies left for a United Way warehouse in Lafayette, La., on Wednesday. A fourth left Thursday and others were set to depart during the night.
The relief effort started when marketing consultant Sidney Ray made a few posts on the Internet site craigslist.org shortly after Katrina hit, hoping to get some people together to help victims of the storm.
Ray suffered a setback, however, when two men who promised her 11 trucks stopped contacting her after she sent a fax at their request describing her relief effort. She said the men had also promised trucks to a radio station helping in the effort but didn't come through.
Media coverage and Internet postings attracted the help of independent truckers who volunteered to drive the goods and pay for fuel, Ray said.
"Our street is filled with semis," she said Thursday afternoon. "It's very efficient and very organized now. What all happened last night is over."
On the Net:
http://www.craigslist.org
Sidney Ray's Web page: http://www.bellapooch.com
More Stories
- Congress passes $51.8 billion relief bill for Katrina victims
- Rescuers finding more stragglers willing to surrender
- Gruesome task of collecting hurricane victims' bodies takes shape
- New wireless technology to be deployed for Katrina relief
- IRS details program to convert unused vacation time into charitable contributions for Katrina victims
Advertisement
- GADGETS: Invention saves time and water in the shower (29)
- REGION: Stores overcharging customers, county says (25)
- BOOK REVIEW: LA reporter pulls back curtain on violence of the Mexican Mafia (23)
- REGION: Where have all the tumbleweeds gone? (20)
- OCEANSIDE: Tri-City board approves $2 million in bonuses (19)
Advertisement