PARKERSBURG - Cars and people on foot made their way onto The Parkersburg News and Sentinel parking lot Thursday to donate money to the Mid-Ohio Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross.
"We have just over $2,000," said Sharon Kesselring, finance development director for the chapter, Thursday. "I would liked it to have been $2,500, but what we have is wonderful."
The Red Cross will continue collecting donations by cash, check, Visa or Mastercard at 519 Juliana St. today from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. For those who donate with a check or credit card, receipts will be mailed to their homes, Kesselring said.
The money raised will go to hurricane victims and fund disaster relief efforts this year, Kesselring said.
The chapter has volunteers helping to feed up to 40,000 people a day in Texas in the aftermath of hurricane devastation, she said. "We're hoping to raise at least $5,000 in the two days in this parking lot," Kesselring said.
"There are so many people without power and businesses are closing so paychecks aren't coming in," Kesselring said. "The people in the hurricane areas are really starting to suffer the effects."
Kesselring said the Red Cross is in those areas to make sure the residents have a safe place to sleep and food.
The goal was originally $10,000, but because of the slow start, Kesslering said they may have to be a little more conservative.
"Right now, it would be great to collect $5,000," she said.
Kesselring said people can pull into the parking lot, circle around to the Red Cross collection tent, then pull back onto Juliana Street.
The traffic flow is indicated by arrows.
Janet Leasure, service to the Armed Forces coordinator, said a man walked across the street to give her all of the change in his pockets.
"That shows me more compassion and human caring than a check," Leasure said.
Jim Spanner, publisher of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel, said the paper offered the parking lot as a collection point as a way to help the Red Cross with its financial strain from the recent disasters.
The national Red Cross organization is trying to raise $100 million for the disaster relief fund. West Virginia is expected to raise $432,000 before Dec. 31. Kesselring said the state has raised $15,000.
"There are more than a million people in West Virginia," she said. "If everyone would just donated $1, we would more than exceed our goal."
Kesslering said she expects donations to be better today.
"It is Friday a pay day for some and people will have heard more about the drive by then," she said.
Spanner said anyone who cannot stop by to drop off money can mail a check to the Red Cross at the Mid-Ohio Valley Chapter, 220 Eighth St., Parkersburg, WV 26101.
