By David Myers

Southwest Kansas Register

In Leawood, Kan., a first grade soccer team raised $125 for the May 4 tornado victims. In North Las Vegas, Nevada, the niece of a Greensburg resident belongs to a youth group that sent dozens of notes of support to the youth of St. Joseph Parish, with a lollypop taped to each one.

"Remember that there are prayers going on for you and others alike," a girl named Angela wrote. "I hope that you can get better and life gets better as well. Just keep happy and smiling and things will get better from day to day."

A woman from Augusta, Ga. wrote the following on a card she sent with a donation: "I loved to visit Greensburg. It was, and still is, a lovely town. … I will be praying for the victims and for all of Kansas, my home state."

And from a woman in Wichita: "Sixteen years ago, my husband, Allen, was in the Andover tornado. They had no warnings as the tornado warnings were broken. Allen and his [then] wife were in a mobile home when it hit. His wife was killed and Allen was hurt very badly. Fourteen years went by and Allen was a very active man. A retired fireman, he flew his ultra light plane and also gave instructions …. Allen had no idea some tiny piece of dirt got caught in his spine and laid there for 14 years festering. On March 3, 2005, Allen slipped and the abscess broke making him a quadriplegic in the matter of three days."

She went on to write that after several months, he regained the use of his arms, and soon had feeling in his legs. He is currently receiving therapy at a rehabilitation hospital, where "they are slowly seeing improvement." She ends her letter by writing, "Here is our donation to all the people affected by this horrible thing."

Since the May 4 tornadoes ravaged Greensburg and several homes and structures in the surrounding region, letters and donations have poured into the Catholic Diocese offices in Dodge City from across the United States. At press time, more than $125,000 had been sent to Catholic Social Service for tornado recovery; the national Catholic Charities had received an additional $12,000. Meanwhile, the Catholic chancery in Dodge City had received more than $290,000 in donations.

On the local front, Andy Kimble, Grand Knight of the Greensburg Council, recently accepted a check for more than $3,000 from Tim Burke, Grand Knight of the Dodge City Council. The Sacred Heart Council raised the money for tornado relief during a recent benefit breakfast.

"Every day we keep thinking it’s going to stop," said Melissa Legleiter, office manager for Catholic Social Service. "And then today we received a check for $5,000.

"It’s really neat to see how kids get involved," she added. "A second grade class from St. Louis School in Colorado sent $100. Some kids from Emporia, Kan. sent $90 from a field day."

North Las Vegas youth director Gregory Sinclair, whose youth sent the letters and lollypops, wrote: "The group placed themselves in the situation of your youth, meditated on their feelings, and prayed for all those affected by this disaster. We ask that the cards found in this box be distributed to the teens of St. Joseph’s as a reminder that there are youth united with them in prayer across the country."

The Monte Vista Coop in Monte Vista, Colo. donated a "heaping truck load" of brand new clothes, thanks to an employee who is the mother-in-law of the daughter of cathedral parishioner Jim Burke. The retail price for the clothes amounted to $20,000.

Local youth have also gotten involved, and recently took to a large alfalfa field searching for debris, while also assisting in the building of barbed wire fences stretching one-half mile. The day was sponsored by the Diocesan Youth Council, and included 17 youth and six adult sponsors.

Meanwhile Sacred Heart School in Dodge City donated several items to the Red Cross, including snack and food items, as well as toiletries.

Also in Dodge City, two evening meals served at the shelter in Mullinville -- planned by Stephanie Vandegrift, Jodi Lix, and the Passionist Sisters, and prepared by five women of the parish -- were served on May 13 and 20. Several volunteers, including children, helped with the meals.