THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, April 26, 1995 TAG: 9504260455
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KERRY DEROCHI, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Missy Snead fought back tears as she stood among the rows of wooden crates, checking off the list of what had been given.
Blankets for children who had lost their parents. Water for relief workers who combed tirelessly through the rubble. Vapor rub for volunteers who needed something to ward off the stench of decay.
It seemed, in the end, overwhelming, the stacks of boxes assembled on the cement near Pier 21.
``When we saw the footage, to see the mothers' faces and the children, all those children, that's why we did this,'' Snead said, crying. ``We did it because we care. It's like they are our second family.''
For three days, Snead and 35 other Navy wives, whose husbands are stationed on the fast attack submarine Oklahoma City, have collected hundreds of donations from local businesses, charities and schools as part of a regional relief drive to help the victims of the April 19 bomb blast.
Among the donations were dozens of flashlights and batteries, raincoats and umbrellas. There were cases of sodas and bottled water, packs of potato chips and rubber gloves.
The items were requested by officials in Oklahoma City to help the victims and thousands of relief workers who had been called to the site.
The local efforts were unveiled Tuesday afternoon at Norfolk Naval Station, where volunteers from across the base worked to pack and ready 30 pallets of materials to be sent to the bomb-site Wednesday morning.
The women said they were drawn to the campaign because of the bond they share with the Oklahoma capital.
They consider the people there family, they said. And, the Navy takes care of its family.
``We wanted to give something back to them,'' said Tammie Adkins, the ombudsman for the submarine. ``It's just a personal link we have with them. We're connected. This hit us all at home.''
The donations came from local businesses such as Kmart, Aqua Cool Water, Price Club of Norfolk, BJ's Wholesale Club, Absolute Bottled Water, Sam's Club, Eagle Snacks and Amber Ace Hardware. For Connie Houpt, the relief effort has helped her come to terms with the blast that rocked her hometown.
Houpt, who moved to Hampton Roads in January from Mustang, Okla., a suburb of Oklahoma City, said she once worked for the ambulance service about five blocks from the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.
``It didn't click at first,'' she said of news reports of the blast. ``I started watching it. I was in shock.''
Houpt, whose husband Jeffrey is stationed on the Oklahoma City, said she joined the relief effort to deal with the frustration of living so far away.
``I wanted to do something, I wanted to help,'' Houpt said. ``I talked to friends in Oklahoma City who feel so helpless, mad and helpless. It was nice to be doing something. It's my city, my state. It hit pretty close to home.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Machinist Mate 2nd Class Thomas Mostoller, center, packs a box of
supplies that he and the crew of the submarine Oklahoma City, with
their spouses, are sending to victims and
KEYWORDS: BOMBS EXPLOSIONS FATALITIES TERRORISM
OKLAHOMA CITY RELIEF by CNB