Samaritans Tired but Rewarded

As Hurricane Andrew victims picked up supplies Sunday that had been trucked from the Antelope Valley to South Florida, exhausted volunteers spoke proudly of how organizing the million-dollar relief effort had changed their lives.

“I’ve just got a real sense of accomplishment,” said North Hollywood resident Darryl Godwin, who picked up the tab for the three trucks that carried the goods cross - country. “This is probably the most important thing I’ve done in my life.”

Godwin was one of scores of Southern California residents who joined the effort that began two weeks ago when employees at the Palmdale Air Traffic Control Tower learned that Miami-based Federal Aviation Administration officials needed help.

Anthia Huff, a controller trainee who has worked for the FAA less than a year, began by calling radio and television stations to seek donations. Employees at Air Force Plant 42, an assembly and test facility in Palmdale, and other volunteers joined the effort, which gathered more than 40 tons of food, clothing and toys.

But problems arose when the Pentagon told the volunteers that there were no military planes available to transport the goods. Godwin, president of Draker Air Support trucking company, came to the rescue.

He paid for three 18-wheelers that hauled the supplies across seven states before arriving Friday at a makeshift military encampment in Tamiami Airport.

Godwin said he has plans to help transport another collection that a Girl Scout troop is organizing. And, he said, he has sent letters to all his customers telling them of the continuing needs in South Florida.

But, for some of the organizers, it is time to return their attentions to their regular jobs.

“We’ve completed our small part,” said Michael Johnston, air traffic manager for the Palmdale tower. “Now it’s up to the masses to take it from there and remember it’s going to take a long, long time for full recovery in the South Florida area.”

Johnston estimated that tower employees have answered more than 1,000 phone calls from people eager to make donations. He said he fell behind in monthly reports on air traffic and budget concerns. And Huff had to postpone some training in order to coordinate volunteers.

Nonetheless, Johnston said, the project was more than worth it. “It goes to show the strength of American character to somehow pull together and make things right that have gone awry,” he said.

Huff said that she was “so happy” Friday when an FAA employee from Florida called her, talking enthusiastically about the cases of shampoo, hair spray and suntan lotion that also repels bugs.

She said individuals who orchestrated the relief effort may continue to make monetary donations to the hurricane victims. And, she said, she cannot help but think of the residents devastated by the more recent hurricane in Hawaii.

“I’m hoping that somebody can do the same thing that I did to help the people in Hawaii,” she said. “I hope they can get a plane, because it’s a wet trip by truck.”