Granger residents come together for fundraiser to support tornado victims
GRANGER, Texas - Almost two weeks after several tornadoes touched down in the central Texas area, residents of Granger continue to lend a hand to help all those who were impacted.
Tornado survivors are still shaken up after what happened.
"Tornadoes definitely don't discriminate. We have seen houses completely leveled and families completely displaced," said Jaime Church, organizer of the fundraiser.
Saturday, a fundraiser was held in downtown Granger to support those who lost almost everything in the tornado. All money raised will go directly to the survivors.
"It's not so much about the money because we could never replace what they lost with the money that we're raising. It's more about the love and the support that we can show the community," said volunteer Bobby Withrow.
Support tornado survivors say they are thankful for especially after what they experienced.
"That was the scariest moment of my life. I've never been through something that scary in my life," said tornado survivor DJ McClelland.
Larry Fleck attended the fundraiser with his grandkids, a simple experience he now cherishes after what he experienced in the tornado. "Thank God I'm here today. That's all I can say. There's obviously something that [God] has a mission for me to do in my life and it's not completed," said Fleck.
Fleck says he was sitting in his mobile home unaware that the tornado was headed straight for his mobile trailer almost two weeks ago. In a matter of seconds, he says the harsh tornado winds turned his home on its side and ripped him out onto the road outside.
"I was standing in the trailer and, what I think is [what happened], the front wall along which would be on the north side popped out and [the tornado] it spit me out and then the trailer proceeded to roll out about 30 yards from where I was, and I was about 20 yards from where I started," said Fleck.
Fleck says he was able to seek shelter in his garage until neighbors drove him to a hospital. He now has some cuts, bruises, and 11 staples in his head from the incident.
Fleck says he is just thankful he is alive, and thankful for the neighbors who helped him seconds after it happened and those who are helping now.
Anyone who would like to help Granger tornado survivors can reach out to the Granger Police Department at (512) 859-2644 or the Texas Fallen Project.
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