Hurricane Rita Rebuild
As I’m writing this entry, I’m on a plane towards home - another flight that was delayed, but optimistically, not cancelled like the last one. I left Tuesday this week and I’ll be home tonight (Wednesday) so it’s really only one night, even though the kids and possibly LaDonna have already gone to sleep. I’m flying home from Des Moines, Iowa which I don’t even need a map to visit and get around anymore. I’ve been there several times and it’s not big enough to use a map that many times. The woman at the Courtyard that I stay at recognizes me each time I come back, which is kind of neat in some respects.
Anyway, last week we (my Business Unit) went to Cameron, LA. First of all, our business unit comprises 32 people and 28 of us went on this trip. We have an annual team building trip/offsite meeting and this year our Business Unit leader decided he wanted to take us to Cameron, LA.
The story behind Cameron, LA is that in September 2005, just shortly after Karina hit New Orleans and Mississippi, Hurricane Rita hit the western area of LA, including and mostly Cameron, LA. Cameron is located near the gulf of Mexico and had a population of 8,000 before the storm. Now they are at 6,000 and most of the 2,000 that are gone are not coming back. Cameron Parish schools had all their elementary school destroyed and most of the high schools sustained heavy damage. The water line rose 10 feet within 2 hours.
AEGON USA adopted Cameron Parish schools shortly after the hurricane and have since donated more than $700,000 to the parish schools. A team of our senior management went down at the beginning of the school year and put together desks and other furniture so the kids could start school this year. They only went two days a week last year because of the damage and lack of equipment/furniture. So, that’s where our Business Unit leader got the idea.
We all flew into Houston, TX on Tuesday and arrived around 6:30 pm (7:30 EDT). We then drove three 15 passenger vans one and a half hours to stop for dinner. After another hour and a half or so at dinner, we drove another hour and a half to stop at a grocery store, and then another hour and a half to the place where we were staying. We arrived at 1:30 (2:30 EDT). The whole trip was long and tiring, but it was for a good cause.
The parish schools lost all their elementary schools so all kids are now going to 4 different high schools. The high schools didn’t have play grounds so know the elementary kids don’t have playgrounds at the high schools. We went down and started the playgrounds. We outlined the play area with railroad ties and then mulched the area where the equipment will go.
The day before we left we went to a Hotel/Casino and had time to have some fun before flying out on Friday.
Anyway, last week we (my Business Unit) went to Cameron, LA. First of all, our business unit comprises 32 people and 28 of us went on this trip. We have an annual team building trip/offsite meeting and this year our Business Unit leader decided he wanted to take us to Cameron, LA.
The story behind Cameron, LA is that in September 2005, just shortly after Karina hit New Orleans and Mississippi, Hurricane Rita hit the western area of LA, including and mostly Cameron, LA. Cameron is located near the gulf of Mexico and had a population of 8,000 before the storm. Now they are at 6,000 and most of the 2,000 that are gone are not coming back. Cameron Parish schools had all their elementary school destroyed and most of the high schools sustained heavy damage. The water line rose 10 feet within 2 hours.
AEGON USA adopted Cameron Parish schools shortly after the hurricane and have since donated more than $700,000 to the parish schools. A team of our senior management went down at the beginning of the school year and put together desks and other furniture so the kids could start school this year. They only went two days a week last year because of the damage and lack of equipment/furniture. So, that’s where our Business Unit leader got the idea.
We all flew into Houston, TX on Tuesday and arrived around 6:30 pm (7:30 EDT). We then drove three 15 passenger vans one and a half hours to stop for dinner. After another hour and a half or so at dinner, we drove another hour and a half to stop at a grocery store, and then another hour and a half to the place where we were staying. We arrived at 1:30 (2:30 EDT). The whole trip was long and tiring, but it was for a good cause.
The parish schools lost all their elementary schools so all kids are now going to 4 different high schools. The high schools didn’t have play grounds so know the elementary kids don’t have playgrounds at the high schools. We went down and started the playgrounds. We outlined the play area with railroad ties and then mulched the area where the equipment will go.
The day before we left we went to a Hotel/Casino and had time to have some fun before flying out on Friday.
posted by Mark at
7:55 AM
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