2008 Woodie Awards
Rowe aids Hurricane Rita victims
Praveen Sathianathan
Issue date: 4/30/07 Section: News
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Keome Rowe, Brookhaven College student, was one of more than 150 students from across the country who participated in the Hurricane Rita Recovery project in Lake Charles, La., March 11-17. The recovery project was one of six alternative spring break projects organized by MTV.
The Hurricane Rita Recovery project, which consisted of four one-week events, occurred during the month of March and were co-sponsored by Federal Express and United Way.
Rowe said when he arrived in Lake Charles, representatives took him along the Gulf Coast area so he could see the devastation first hand.
"A lot of people do not see that part; that's where most of the damage still is," Rowe said.
"We went to Cameron Parish and they had gas stations with just the top on, two houses were floating in the bayou and alligators were along the street."
Rowe said he also saw a lot of people living there. When he asked why there were a lot of people still there, Rowe said the representatives told him: "These people grew up here and this is all they know. Some have a lot of relatives in the area, others have family in nearby parishes."
Rowe said: "The city was a lot better than what I thought. The government and the city have done a lot of work, but there is still a lot of work to do."
He said when all the students arrived at the Southwest Louisiana Volunteer Housing and Coordination Center they were placed in groups consisting of 10 students and two team leaders, whom they were to work with the entire week.
He said each group was assigned certain projects to accomplish while they were there.
"The first home that we were in had already undergone a lot of work from two groups of volunteers who were there the first two weeks," Rowe said. "Volunteers came throughout March because different schools have spring break at different times."
He said his group did home improvement projects such as fixing light fixtures, painting and putting in ceiling fans and windows.
The Hurricane Rita Recovery project, which consisted of four one-week events, occurred during the month of March and were co-sponsored by Federal Express and United Way.
Rowe said when he arrived in Lake Charles, representatives took him along the Gulf Coast area so he could see the devastation first hand.
"A lot of people do not see that part; that's where most of the damage still is," Rowe said.
"We went to Cameron Parish and they had gas stations with just the top on, two houses were floating in the bayou and alligators were along the street."
Rowe said he also saw a lot of people living there. When he asked why there were a lot of people still there, Rowe said the representatives told him: "These people grew up here and this is all they know. Some have a lot of relatives in the area, others have family in nearby parishes."
Rowe said: "The city was a lot better than what I thought. The government and the city have done a lot of work, but there is still a lot of work to do."
He said when all the students arrived at the Southwest Louisiana Volunteer Housing and Coordination Center they were placed in groups consisting of 10 students and two team leaders, whom they were to work with the entire week.
He said each group was assigned certain projects to accomplish while they were there.
"The first home that we were in had already undergone a lot of work from two groups of volunteers who were there the first two weeks," Rowe said. "Volunteers came throughout March because different schools have spring break at different times."
He said his group did home improvement projects such as fixing light fixtures, painting and putting in ceiling fans and windows.
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