McDonnell: Tornado fund needs $1 million more

RICHMOND — Individual and corporate donors have contributed $1.1 million to the Virginia Disaster Relief Fund, responding to Gov. Bob McDonnell's call to assist communities that are struggling to recover from April tornadoes.

The funds will be used to distribute grants to local disaster recovery organizations in tornado-damaged communities, including Pulaski County and Washington County in Southwest Virginia. More than 30 tornadoes hit Virginia in three separate events in April, causing 10 deaths and more than 100 injuries.

McDonnell stepped up calls for private donations after the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied his request for federal disaster assistance. The governor pledged to set aside $600,000 in unspent state dollars for the disaster fund and the state established a website (www.disasterfund.virginia.gov) to collect individual contributions.

McDonnell challenged Virginians on Wednesday to contribute another $1 million to the fund by Nov. 1 to help meet an estimated $2 million in unmet needs from the April storms. He also wants to build up the fund to use for future disaster relief efforts.
"Whether it's a dollar or $100,000 that some Virginian wants to put forward in the future, we want to say that we're here to accept it," McDonnell said in a news conference at the state's emergency operations center.
In addition to state and private contributions, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has collected an additional $111,500 in donations at state liquor stores.
The state fund, which McDonnell characterized as a "fund of last resort," will be administered by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Organizations providing relief services in tornado-damaged communities can apply for grants from the department.
The state fund could supplement relief efforts in Pulaski County, which has relied on a local relief fund and volunteer labor to help rebuild and rehabilitate homes damaged by an April 8 tornado.
"We'll be able to assist more people that we haven't been able to assist before," said Tye Kirkner, the volunteer coordinator for Pulaski County.
Billy and Delaina Gallimore said they are grateful for efforts to rebuild their Pulaski home, which was knocked from its foundation by the tornado. The damage didn't end when the twister blew out of town, Billy Gallimore said.
"A few weeks later we had an electrical fire," said Gallimore, who spoke briefly at Wednesday's news conference. Their home's reconstruction could be complete in a matter of weeks.
The major donors to the relief fund include Richard and Leslie Gilliam of Keswick, who contributed $500,000. Richard Gilliam is the founder of Cumberland Resources Corp., an Abingdon-based coal operation.
"The idea that so many lives had been upended was of great concern to us," Leslie Gilliam said.
The state fund received $100,000 contributions from Appalachian Power Co. and Radford businessman R.J. Kirk. Roanoke-based Medical Facilities of America gave $25,000 and Carilion Clinic donated $10,000.