Marengo community rallies to help families affected by explosion

The Marengo community is rallying to assist those whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the fiery explosion heard across the town of 7,500.

Resident Nicole Laegeler created a Facebook page Sunday to organize information about donations, collection sites, events and other relief efforts. By Monday afternoon, nearly 1,000 people had joined the group.

Community members flooded the page with offers of clothing, toiletries, toys and household items. Churches and businesses posted about their efforts to collect money and other donations. Managers of the Facebook page were keeping track of families affected by the blast.

The Salvation Army, Red Cross and similar groups have been helping displaced residents, while Marengo Community High School served as a gathering space and a cooling center for families and their pets after the explosion.

A day after the blast, Marengo business owner Anthony Diller filled a trailer with cases of water bottles and walked around the neighborhood distributing them. Diller's shop, Cowboys Auto Repair, was closed Monday.

"It's a small community," he said. "I shut down the business today and decided to come out and do what I can to help."

Other businesses, organizations and restaurants were giving away gift cards and donating their services.

The M.O.R.E. Center, a Marengo nonprofit at 829 Greenlee St., also has volunteered to collect donations on behalf of the city, said McHenry County Chairman Jack Franks, a Marengo resident. Those who want to help can contact the organization at (815) 568-7950.