In the days following the severe weather of April 27th and 28th that ripped through the towns of Sulphur, Marieta, and Holdenville, destroying businesses and homes, several local residents were already mobilizing to send aid.
Sydnee Hooper, owner of the local Cowbells & Cowpoke’s Consignment Store, connected with Bailee Nicole Phillips and Lerin Thomas Lynch both of whom have family in Sulphur. Together, they coordinated collecting donations from Stillwater and Perkins communities, with the consignment store being one of the donation locations.
“I went on Facebook because I was going to post that we were doing donations, and I connected with two women who were going down because they had family there, and I was like, 'perfect, ‘cause I have no way of getting it there right now. It was a good collaboration to find those women,” Sydnee explained.
Within a week, Sydnee had sent off truck loads of collected items including, water, pillows, children’s clothing, blankets, postpartum care products, diapers, and toilet paper.
Overwhelmed to see the support the Sulphur community received, Bailee Nicole Phillips relates, “When we dropped off the collected items at the expo center it was absolutely amazing to see it packed out with donations. Anything you could think of was available for those in need. We were able to take some clothing, diapers, wipes, bedding, bags, shoes, books, stuffed animals, bottles. We had people offer furniture -beds, dressers, couches, when they were needed.’’
Both the Phillips’ and Lynch families thankfully didn’t sustain any loss but Bailee expresses “so many friends lost businesses and homes. Seeing downtown was devastating, but at the same time-heartwarming to see how many organizations, businesses and individuals, out sun up to sun down, working so hard to help clean up and meet the needs of residents and business owners.”
The expo center isn’t accepting anymore donations at this time but Phillip’s says “they need manpower to help clean up, rebuild, distribute hot lunches to those without vehicles that are working all day cleaning up their homes. Monetary donations can be made at any BancFirst location, to the Sulphur Tornado Relief Account.”
It’s a blessing to be able to tap into the resources and kindness of our fellow neighbors, especially in times of catastrophe and tragedy. It’s also important we look for, and share more often the good that’s happening inside our communities. Sydnee Hooper agrees: “When you look for it, you find it and that’s something I think that definitely needs to be highlighted in this town, you know, there’s lots of local people doing stuff like this and I feel like it doesn’t get much spotlight at all.”
As far as the future of Sulphur, Phillips says “Murray County is a family-and I know Sulphur will rebuild stronger than ever.”
