Lisana's Lines

This week’s devastating events in Oklahoma have shaken many people nationwide.

Tornadoes, to me, are one of the most frightening things that I can imagine ever going through. I have outrun a couple while I was driving down the road, but I have never been in a building while a funnel was passing over.

Georgia has seen quite a few tornadoes in the past couple of years. I nearly missed being in the middle of an EF3 on January 30, a few weeks before I moved here. Luckily, I had planned my route differently that day, or I would have been in the center.

A confirmed EF4 hit close to my hometown on April 27, 2011. Georgia rarely gets hit by tornadoes that strong. Only eight EF4s have hit Georgia since 1950.

But the fifth-deadliest tornado on record hit 50 miles from my hometown in Gainesville, Georgia on April 6, 1936. It islisted as an EF4. In Gainesville, 203 people died.

The efforts to help the Oklahoma victims are wide-spread. The local effort, organized by SRMC Director of Pharmacy Rachel Forster, is attracting attention and donations from across the Panhandle.

Reach Out World Wide (ROWW), a relief effort started by actor Paul Walker (Fast and Furious films) in 2010 has disaster relief teams nationwide. ROWW has had a crew in Oklahoma since Tuesday. This is the opening weekend for Fast 6; Walker has pledged to donate his own money to help tornado victims.

In a post on Walker’s Instagram account he explains: “#Fast6 Fans, we've made it to opening weekend, but we haven’t won the race yet. Oklahoma still needs our help, so follow these 2 steps to join forces with me, #ROWW, and #Stihl and help rebuild and relieve… When you go see @fastandfuriousmovie this weekend: 1. Post a photo of your ticket or you in the theater with the hashtag #ROWW on Twitter or Instagram. 2. Follow @ReachOutWW on Twitter. I will make a donation for EVERY fan who completes the 2 steps.”

The New York Says Thank You Foundation (NYSTYF) members have pledged their support to help. In a statement on the NYSTYF Facebook page and in emails sent out to members, Co-founder and Chairman Jeff Parness said, “Our hearts have been broken this week by the devastating photos from Moore and Shawnee, Oklahoma and the tremendous loss of life and destruction to entire communities. Our spirits have also been lifted by the stories of service and sacrifice coming from the tornado tragedy – from the teachers who saved so many young students in their care to the first responders who selflessly put their own lives at risk to save their neighbors.

We have also been humbled by so many people in The Rockaways and other areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy who have been blessed by our rebuilding efforts and Stars of HOPE program and who have reached out to us saying they felt an ‘absolute need to Pay It Forward to Oklahoma.

“This is what New York Says Thank You is all about. Transforming tragedy into Hope by paying it forward to the next community in need,” said Parness.

“As we gear up to plan a number of outreach efforts to assist the people of Moore, Oklahoma – through Stars of HOPE, The National 9/11 Flag, and The 9/12 Generation Project – and as we work to support the Oklahoma tornado survivors with both their long-term emotional needs and community rebuilding efforts over the coming months, please keep the people of Oklahoma in your thoughts and prayers,” Parness concluded.

Sadly, politics have been mixed with the Oklahoma disaster involving the Oklahoma politicians who voted against aid to the victims of Hurricane Sandy. But the human spirit will shine through anyway, regardless of the people who try to control everything.

The force of people helping other people in their time of need will win out. Always remember to help someone when he or she is down because it may be you who needs help someday. And always pay it forward.

Donations for the Sidney relief effort may be taken to the SRMC between now and Tuesday at 5:00 p.m.