Naperville group gets a big thank you
HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. -- The last time Jack Persin visited Pass Christian, about six months after Hurricane Katrina hit, the ground debris still hadn't been completely cleared away.
During last week's visit to the Gulf Coast town, he was heartened to see at least that had been taken care of.
Persin and five others from Naperville Responds, a nonprofit group formed to help rebuild homes in Pass Christian, visited to attend a thank you ceremony for their work.
They were among 20 Chicago-area volunteers who were flown to there by American Eagle Airlines Inc. officials for a reception at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi. The group received gift bags and saw a slide show chronicling their efforts.
The ceremony also celebrated the Gulfport airport's nonstop Chicago service, which began last week.
"Southern hospitality takes a back seat to Midwestern hospitality," Pass Christian Mayor Leo "Chipper" McDermott told the crowd of the Naperville efforts.
Much of the area's progress has been the result of volunteers, said Kathy Cargile, American Eagle regional sales manager, and officials wanted to honor them.
To learn about the ongoing efforts, she typed the words "Katrina," "relief efforts" and "Chicago" into a search engine.
"It pulled up a list a mile long," she said. "And it kept coming back to Naperville."
In the past year, Naperville Responds reached its goal of raising roughly $1 million to build 20 new homes.
Houses nine and 10 are being built now, and No. 11 will break ground in January. Persin and his company, Ryan Hill Realty in Naperville, will return to the area next month to help.
The recent visit shows residents they aren't forgotten, Persin said. That was a main goal of the group -- to not just build homes, but form long-lasting friendships.
"I'm proud of what we've done, and of the community we found," he said. "We've given them some hope."
How to help
Send checks to:
Naperville Responds
c/o DBC&W
123 N. Water St.
Naperville, IL 60540-8604
Visit:
www.napervilleresponds.org to donate online or learn more about future fund-raisers and volunteer opportunities.