Paper, Magazines, Radio, and now TV

Since being at Lagniappe I have made the paper for attending the first Saints game back in the dome, intervied with a Croation documentary crew about volunteers here in America, was photographed and put in a Mississippi magazine for being at the filming of Jimmy Buffett's music video filmed here in the Bay, intervied on live radio at a local radio station, and now finally joined the ranks of Jean and Kenley by making the local news. Mississippi has just approved the funding for a memorial or thank you to be built at the local welcome center to commemorate all the hard work the volunteers here have put in to help restore the coast. The memorial or whatever you would call it is going to be a 30 ft high sculpture to represent the height of the storm surge and be set in a fountain in the shape of Katrina. Last night I also attended the first fundraising banquet, not sure how I was selected but ended up going, to kick off the push to raise the money. I ended up sitting at the head table with Mo Gatto, another volunteer coordinatoor and Gene Taylor, the Congressman from the gulf coast. It was the first time I have ever met a congressmen. Anyway, I have finally covered all forms of media I guess now I shoot for CNN. But, besides just to brag the point of this blog is that the volunteers efforts is truly evident and appreciated down here on the coast. I do not pay attention to politics all that closely but I heard about this memorial Thursday and by Friday night at the banquet they announced that the state had already approved the project and their part of the funding. I would think that a project with a price tag of this size would not be to popular when there is so much need in the area. Everyone I talk to from those living in FEMA trailers to the speech that the congressman gives all i hear is support. This is the same phenomenon that many of our volunteers experience when they come down here. Every week teams are fed by the residents we work with, crawfish, pizza, gumbo, catfish, brisquet, po-boys, all out of gratitude for the work they have done. It is not that they can afford to feed 20 volunteers its that they can't afford not to. They have to express their gratitude. Volunteers are needed more than ever and this monument shows the gratitude and the effect that volunteers have had on the coast. So if you have come to Lagniappe and filled out the EOC work form as you were suppose to you your name should appear on this fountain. If you came down and didn't fill out this form as is also often the case, come back so you can turn in a form. And finally if you have not come down we are still working hard, tired as is evident by us not blogging, and in need of help. Keep the coast in mind as everyone here cannot forget all the help from all over the nation that was needed to help this place recover.