Interesting Katrina-relief notes

Aside from everything the SCA is doing internally (cf the activities on the Kingdom of Glenn Abhann's Y!group and the Glenn Abhann Supply Run), I saw something kinda wonderful on my way up to Trimaris's 20th Year Anniversary -- a convoy of between four and six Search&Rescue airboats, headed, undoubtedly, for the northern Gulf Coast.

How utterly appropriate, that the Everglades should go help the bayou!

(mutters something few will understand about 'Swamplords of Trimaris, help from below!')


Repeated with blanket permission:

Fantasy, SciFi & Gamers Relief Effort
www.gryphonking.com

Sept. 1
I'm an experienced emergency worker (7 yrs volunteer firefighter, 2 yrs stormspotter & CERT (Civilian Emergency Response Team)). Mercedes Lackey and I have an existing charitable foundation we are turning towards the effort of helping the fantasy, scifi, and roleplaying games fans hit by Katrina.

When Katrina was coming in, I packed up my rescue gear for activation, and began putting together a civilian relief convoy to help out the Gulf Coast fandom. The high-level dispatch I saw today is, in as many words, "Nobody Goes In" during the continued, and perhaps complete, evacuation of the Gulf Coast. The only aid people that are being specifically asked for at the moment, through my channels, are fast water rescue teams.

So, the angle of the fan/pro/gamer aid effort I've been assembling is now shifting on the fly---from one of going in with supplies for those who stayed and pulling out those left homeless, to instead, locating the fans who HAVE evacuated, and relocating them to places they can get back on their feet. We'll be taking some in ourselves up here in Oklahoma. We have room and resources in house for six or so people and our contractor is readying to rebuild the garage into a bunkhouse to accomodate up to 22 at any one time.

And lastly (e-dresses edited for courtesy):

From: K[...] @aol.com
Date: September 2, 2005 11:31:02 PM MDT
To: M[...] @earthlink.com
Subject: Fwd: [gdh] Fwd: Robert Asprin Status

Thought you'd want to know this.  Leave it to Madrugada to actually get hold of the man.  At least we know more of what's going on.

Obviously, you can share this with anyone else who wants to know.

Hugs -- K

From: Barbara <r[...] @merr.com>
Date: September 2, 2005 7:25:07 PM MDT
To: [...] @ki.org
Subject: [gdh] Fwd: Robert Asprin Status

Subject: Robert Asprin Status

    Date: Fri, 2 Sep 2005 23:16:19 +0000


    Greetings to all. I have spoken with Bob again and have the following to
    report:

    - He is fine. ...

    - There are about 300 - 500 people left in the Quarter and all of them are doing
    fine.

    - They have plenty of canned food (and manual can openers) and they have plenty
    of bottled water. Bob mentioned that he still has 3 2-liter bottles of soda to
    go through before he has to resort to water.

    - Most of the French Quarter is and has been dry all along. The highest the
    water came for them, even during the height of the storm, was up to the curbs.
    The area in which Bob lives and which also contains my condo did not even take
    any wind damage - other than the two trees which fell on either side of the
    "throw me somethin'" Jesus at the Cathedral. He said that one chimney in the
    Quarter had fallen, but that was it.

    - There has been no uncontrolled looting in the Quarter, and no roving groups of
    folks with guns in the Quarter. So they are safe and they have plenty of food
    and water.

    - One of the most amazing things that Bob told me was that they are still
    getting deliveries of cold beer at the one and only bar in the Quarter which has
    remained open. Lord only knows how they are getting it through.

    - The police and the national guard and the military know that they are there.
    But with the situation in the rest of the City, they are very low priority for
    evacuation.

    - Bob is aware that, as soon as it is practical, he should (and will) leave. He
    is aware that there is a risk of fire and that he should be mindful of that
    risk. Should fires break out in the Quarter, he can make his way down to
    Harrahs, which is the police command post. (So he does have a plan, should fire
    break out.)

    - In the meantime, they will sit tight and wait for the authorities to come
    through and tell them that it is time to leave. The most annoying thing to Bob
    is that it is boring and he can't flush his toilet.

That's Yang. He's got cold beer, he's bored, and the toilet won't flush.  Man lives a charmed life...

Madrugada