Carnival brightens survivors' spirits
Web Posted: 09/12/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Lisa Marie Gómez
Express-News Staff Writer
Assessing the needs of Hurricane Katrina evacuees in San Antonio, Rabbi Chaim Block found it in the faces of the children.
(Photos by Helen L. Montoya/Express-News)
Eleven-year-old Devin Perkins gets a little help from Goldie the clown while trying on a balloon hat during the carnival at Lindbergh Park for evacuees living at KellyUSA.
Courtney Williams, 12 (from left), John Ruffin, 12, and Johnisha Ruffin, 11, take a spin on one of the rides at the carnival. The free carnival also featured treats including ice cream and popcorn.
Special Section
Hurricane Katrina: News, video, multimedia, information for victims and volunteers
Block said a Jewish organization in Los Angeles called him and said, "You tell us what they need."
"I went to the shelter and saw that their basic needs were being met, but what I thought they needed was something to lift their spirits," said Block, the executive director of the Chabad Lubavitch of South Texas.
Thus, a carnival was born.
For Courtney Williams, Johnisha Ruffin and her brother John — all young survivors who met at a shelter at KellyUSA — it turns out Sunday's free carnival was just what they needed.
Courtney, a 12-year-old who likes to sing all the latest hits, held a microphone at Lindbergh Park and sang Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together."
Her long, thin braids swung from side to side, and she and Johnisha, 11, danced and sang.
"I think it's fun," said Courtney, who checked out the Fun Lodge and rode on the spinning Sizzler ride before discovering the microphone.
It was a stark contrast to the glum outlook just two weeks ago, as the hurricane forced them out of their homes and into the Superdome in New Orleans.
The carnival was expected to draw hundreds of children, but heavy rain kept attendance to a minimum. Fewer than 50 people showed up.
"We had hoped a lot more people would get to enjoy this," Block said. "To see the high spirits, the laughter, joy and hope on their faces — it's all worth it."
Chabad Lubavitch, with more than 2,700 international branches, is the largest Jewish organization in the world, according to the group's Web site.
lgomez@express-news.net
Web Posted: 09/12/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Lisa Marie Gómez
Express-News Staff Writer
Assessing the needs of Hurricane Katrina evacuees in San Antonio, Rabbi Chaim Block found it in the faces of the children.
(Photos by Helen L. Montoya/Express-News)
Eleven-year-old Devin Perkins gets a little help from Goldie the clown while trying on a balloon hat during the carnival at Lindbergh Park for evacuees living at KellyUSA.
Courtney Williams, 12 (from left), John Ruffin, 12, and Johnisha Ruffin, 11, take a spin on one of the rides at the carnival. The free carnival also featured treats including ice cream and popcorn.
Special Section
Hurricane Katrina: News, video, multimedia, information for victims and volunteers
Block said a Jewish organization in Los Angeles called him and said, "You tell us what they need."
"I went to the shelter and saw that their basic needs were being met, but what I thought they needed was something to lift their spirits," said Block, the executive director of the Chabad Lubavitch of South Texas.
Thus, a carnival was born.
For Courtney Williams, Johnisha Ruffin and her brother John — all young survivors who met at a shelter at KellyUSA — it turns out Sunday's free carnival was just what they needed.
Courtney, a 12-year-old who likes to sing all the latest hits, held a microphone at Lindbergh Park and sang Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together."
Her long, thin braids swung from side to side, and she and Johnisha, 11, danced and sang.
"I think it's fun," said Courtney, who checked out the Fun Lodge and rode on the spinning Sizzler ride before discovering the microphone.
It was a stark contrast to the glum outlook just two weeks ago, as the hurricane forced them out of their homes and into the Superdome in New Orleans.
The carnival was expected to draw hundreds of children, but heavy rain kept attendance to a minimum. Fewer than 50 people showed up.
"We had hoped a lot more people would get to enjoy this," Block said. "To see the high spirits, the laughter, joy and hope on their faces — it's all worth it."
Chabad Lubavitch, with more than 2,700 international branches, is the largest Jewish organization in the world, according to the group's Web site.
lgomez@express-news.net
No comments:
Post a Comment