$200 shopping spree helps Lake youths replace clothes

Jordyn Taylor, 13, and Benjamin Swartz, 15, greet each other before boarding a bus for a shopping spree for young tornado victims at JC penny and Aeropostale at the Shops at Fallen Timbers. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT Enlarge | Photo Reprints

Wearing stripes at left, Diane Witt, wife of Lake Local Superintendent Jim Witt, urges shopping spree participants to board buses and get on their way to replacing damaged clothing. THE BLADE/AMY E. VOIGT Enlarge | Photo Reprints

Back-to-school shopping often involves additions to last fall's wardrobe.

Sometimes, the trip is about starting over.

Sunday night was a chance to refill emptied closets for 39 youths in the Lake Local School District, whose homes were most devastated by the June 5 tornadoes.

They were treated to a back-to-school shopping spree at JC Penney and Aeropostale at the Shops at Fallen Timbers.

It was courtesy of the Lake Kids Relief Fund, which since the deadly tornadoes has collected nearly $18,000 through public donations and fund-raisers.

Each youth received a $200 VISA gift card to spend at the two stores, along with a ticket for free ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery.

Organizers said almost $10,000 remains in the relief fund, which will sponsor other events for those affected by the disaster.

Some students on Sunday's trip lost almost everything they owned in the tornadoes, which took the lives of six people and left Lake High School unusable.

Because of the heavy building damage, high school students will spend the next two years in a temporary facility on Tracy Road in Northwood.

Ben Bradfield, a Lake senior and football player, lost his house and every article of clothing in it but his favorite vest and his varsity letter jacket.

"I was pretty pumped about saving that," Ben, who plays defensive back, said of his school jacket. He was accompanied last night by his mother, Sue Bradfield, who said she was thankful for donors' generosity.

The family is rebuilding their ruined Millbury house.

"We'll never live in a house without a basement - it saved our lives," she said.

The recipients of Sunday's trip ranged from 17-year-old seniors to a 9-week-old boy who was born the week after the tornado ravaged his family's home.

One goal of the shopping trip was to help "kids feel like kids again," and not storm victims who are without possessions, said organizer Diane Witt, wife of superintendent Jim Witt, who also helped chaperon the excursion. "We hope that we can help your kids go back to a normal life."

Ron and Ronda Cooper had three children to shop for Sunday: the eldest, Robert Vasquez, a Lake senior; Addison Cooper, who is nearing 2, and Aiden, who is 9 weeks old.

The Coopers lost their two-story Moline house, innumerable possessions, and three cars in the storm. Most of their clothes were left soaked with water and litter with small dirty pieces of insulation.

Though Addison is too young to understand what happened, she seemed to enjoy the opportunity to wander JC Penney's sales racks Sunday, picking out new bibs and dresses from the lowest-hanging racks.

"Look at her scope them out - she really knows what she's doing!" said volunteer Kristen McKee, 20, a 2008 Lake graduate whose brother, Kurt, is a senior.

Meanwhile in the men's department, Robert Vasquez was picking out dress clothes and listening to fashion advice from his buddies on the football team.

The boys said their coach requires that they wear collared shirts and ties to school on game days.

Robert was having great fun picking out unique colors and designs from the store's tie selection.

Perhaps too much fun. Eventually, a teammate made an intervention.

"The diagonal doesn't go with stripes," offered Kurt McKee, striking down one ill-matching tie and shirt combo.

Contact JC Reindl at:

jreindl@theblade.com

or 419-724-6065.