CHILDRESS – Childress rolled out the welcome mat for Panhandle wildfire evacuates and their animals this past week.
“Thank you to the Emergency Management personnel, who coordinated all of the efforts to comfort and take care of the families and individuals that had been misplaced from their homes and property,” Childress Chamber Executive Director Susan Leary said. “Childress residents, City and County personnel, churches, local businesses and volunteers made last night a little more bearable for those families and individuals.”
While the Mashburn Event Center was open for horses and pets, the City Auditorium was available with cots and water for evacuates who needed shelter, Leary said. First Baptist Church and Carey First Baptist Church also opened their doors to house evacuees.
With the Panhandle wildfires spanning more than 1 million acres, First Baptist Church supported firefighters and first responders by collecting needed items. First Baptist Church volunteer Kaitlin Lambert said this included items, such as water bottles, Gatorade/electrolytes, beef jerky, protein bars, wet wipes, eye drops, pain reliever medicine and chap stick. They delivered them to Wheeler on Friday.
“We’re overwhelmed with the generosity of our church and the town of Childress,” Lambert said. “We’re very grateful. It’s a wonderful blessing for us to be able to take it.”
Leary said Childress residents can assist the firefighters in Borger, Miami, Fritch, Canadian, Wheeler, Shamrock and Perryton with financial help. You can send money directly to the Fire Departments with ATTN: Wildlife Relief.
