LIBERTARIAN INTELLIGENCE:LOCAL CLUB RAISES KATRINA FUNDS, ATTRACTS MAYOR

Added: (Wed Oct 26 2005)

Pressbox (Press Release) -
St. Petersburg, FL --- Never underestimate that individuals can take the initiative to help others in need, say the Libertarians.

Scott Palacheck, a disbled Libertarian activist inf St. Petersburg, Pinellas, Florida did just that. "I wanted to do something to help victims of Hurricane Katrina" said Palacheck, but was left wondering what after contacts with local groups proved discouraging. After some brainstorming with friends he decided on a car wash. With only seven days to pull together the relief effort, Palacheck found a car wash location, supplies, people, even food and cold drinks for the volunteers, plus a website to promote the event.

Palachek contacted fellow Libertarians and political activists to organize a non-partisan effort. Volunteers were soon making phone calls and designing a website, and contacting local media for TV spots and stories.

Time wasn't on Palacheck's side. With only a week, he needed to find a location with a water supply. He did find a person who volunteered his building location, but they soon found out, there was no outside water supply, No go, back to square one. With just a few days and a lot of phone calls Palacheck finally found his location, thanks to Shane Hill manager of the CVS Pharmacy on 845 4th St. N. in St. Petersburg. Mr. Hill not only donated the parking lot, hose and water but also provided free cold beverages and snacks for the hard working volunteers.

Palacheck still wanted to do more, so he continued to contact other St. Petersburg businesses to donate supplies such as Fast Signs who created two car wash banners and McDonald's who provided 30 hamburgers and fries for the car wash volunteers.

Volunteers were needed too. By that weekend Palacheck found a diverse group of 15 volunteers who did a great job washing the cars.

The day was 'a success' said organizers, pointing to several local media articles, a vist by St Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, and subsequent efforts by other groups working with members of local political parties such as the Greens to organize similar efforts. ' Everyone from the donors getting their cars washed to the volunteers had a great time and in under eight hours raised over $1000 in pledges and cash donations,' they said.

The cash was donated directly to the Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Red Cross. For information on upcoming efforts, see Disaster Help at http://www.disasterhelp.cjb.net
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