by Kent Jennings Brockwell
Staff Writer
Because a majority of the recovery efforts following Hurricane Katrina were focused on New Orleans, many people in the outlying areas went days without aid.
For those in Lafayette, La., a small city about 100 miles west of New Orleans, electricity had been out since the beginning of the storm and critical supplies like drinking water and food were beginning to run dangerously low.
After the local Wal-Mart was looted, many who lost their homes moved in and converted the building into a makeshift shelter, but there was still little food or water.
So you can imagine the evacuees’ delight and surprise when they saw a convoy of delivery trucks with Duval County license plates pull into the litter-covered Wal-Mart parking lot.
Though some of the trucks were rentals, many had “PRI Productions” printed on the side and all were filled to the brim with water, food, diapers, clothes and dozens of other necessities.
In one of the trucks, riding shotgun, was Randy Goodwin, president of PRI Productions. Using his own fleet of trucks, which are usually filled with lighting and sound equipment, along with several other vehicles, Goodwin has been coordinating and operating daily supply runs to the hurricane ravaged Gulf Coast ever since the floodwaters crested.
“(On Monday) when we went out there on the first run, there were more than 40 or 50 vehicles from Jacksonville in the convoy,” said Goodwin last week.
Goodwin said the convoy from Jacksonville was the first shipment of supplies to reach Lafayette though members of Jacksonville’s fire department were already there helping with rescue efforts.
“The fire department from Jacksonville is doing so much there,” he said. “There were Jacksonville firefighters already there helping to unload our trucks on the first run.”
Goodwin said he is working with numerous local organizations to receive and organize the inflow of donations and has been overwhelmed with the amount of local support and generosity.
“This is just a caring community,” he said. “We are watching the TV and the community is going out and doing something about it. Jacksonville is second to none when it comes to giving and we are doing some pretty amazing things in Louisiana. It is just wonderful being a part of this.”
And the people of Lafayette are thankful, according to a make-shift sign erected at the looted Wal-Mart. Goodwin said when the convoy arrived in Lafayette a few days later to deliver additional supplies, drivers were greeted by a large hand painted sign reading, “Thank you Jacksonville! First to the aid of Lafayette, Louisiana.”