OSO — The calls started coming in the days after the mudslide. Lions Clubs from across the country, and some from outside the U.S., wanted to help.
The Lions formed a team to handle the club’s emergency assistance effort after the Oso mudslide, which wiped out a neighborhood and killed 43 people in March.
Through auctions, T-shirt sales and spaghetti feeds, local branches of the international organization began collecting donations. Meanwhile, volunteers in Snohomish County wrote grant applications, seeking money from the Lions Club International Foundation.
The team raised nearly $119,000 for Oso relief. About $31,500 came from grants, and the remaining $87,000 came from donations.
“It’s just part of who we are and what we do,” said Steve Brooks, co-chair of the emergency-relief team. “The greatest reward is being able to go up and help locally.”
So far, the bulk of the money has been used to replace gear that was damaged during search and rescue. The Lions paid for new dry suits and flotation vests for water rescues and purchased safety cones, carabiners, rope and new thermal imaging cameras for the Darrington and Oso fire districts, Brooks said. The club also agreed to pay for repairs to a damaged hovercraft for the Silvana fire district.
Equipment wasn’t the only priority. Volunteers took the club’s health screening van to Darrington and to the Sauk Suiattle Indian Reservation, offering free sight and hearing tests. They paid for glasses for 19 local students who couldn’t afford them and struggled to access other resources while the mudslide blocked Highway 530.
The Lions also bought back-to-school supplies like backpacks, calculators and flash drives for Darrington area kids.
“We want to make sure we’re not just giving money to give money,” Brooks said. “We want to meet the true needs of the community.”
Though Brooks wasn’t surprised to see the Lions rally, it was heartening to watch volunteers and donors come together from near and far.
The Bellingham Lions Club had planned to auction off a carved wood bear to raise money for their projects but decided instead to donate the money to Oso relief. The bear brought in nearly $6,000, and it seemed like an appropriate fundraiser, Brooks said. The Spanish word for bear is “oso.”
Then there was the Sasquatch Lions Club in Canada, which sent a $1,000 check shortly after the slide. A few weeks later, another $2,000 check came. Brooks called to make sure there wasn’t a mistake and learned that the Sasquatch Lions Club tried to donate $2,000 to their local fire district, but the firefighters insisted the money go to Oso and Darrington.
“One thing with disasters is Lions Clubs all over the world want to donate and help out,” Brooks said.
The Lions team has money left to spend on relief efforts in the Stillaguamish Valley, but it won’t be doled out until needs are identified, Brooks said.
For example, they are interested in contributing to a park or a memorial in the slide zone once planning moves forward, he said.
“One thing Lions tend to do is be there after the cause,” Brooks said. “As people settle into the new normal, there will certainly be needs.”
Kari Bray: kbray@heraldnet.com, 425-339-3439.
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