SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — The cities of Cuyahoga Falls and Stow are partnering this holiday season to help families in western Kentucky who were devastated by tornadoes that cut a swath across several states earlier in December.
On Dec. 10, a deadly twister started in Arkansas and traveled through four states, touching down in Kentucky where it traveled on the ground for 128 miles, with peak winds of 190 mph, according to National Weather Service surveyors. The city of Mayfield took a direct hit, with at least 55 residents killed.
To bring some relief this holiday season, from Thursday, Dec. 16 through Tuesday, Dec. 21, unwrapped gifts, from books to electronics, geared for newborns to children 18 years old, can be dropped off at Cuyahoga Falls City Hall, 2310 Second St. in downtown Cuyahoga Falls, or at Stow City Hall, 3760 Darrow Road in Stow.
A deadly twister tore through western Kentucky on Dec. 10, traveling on the ground for 128 miles, with peak winds of 190 mph. (Courtesy of the National Weather Service)
At Cuyahoga Falls City Hall, during regular business hours the items can be dropped off in the neighborhood excellence, communication and community outreach department, located across from the utility billing department. After hours, take gifts to the lobby of the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, on the north side of the building.
Financial contributions can be made online through Salvation Army Disaster Relief, organizers said. Donate by calling 800-725-2769 (SAL-ARMY) and designate “KY Tornado Relief.”
Or, residents can text to 52000 to donate $10 through their mobile phone bills, officials said. According to organizers, the Salvation Army uses 100% of donations for disaster relief.
Once the gifts are collected, a representative from Stow will transport the gifts to Kentucky, officials said.
In a release, Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Walters said the city is proud to partner with Stow.
“The city of Cuyahoga Falls has a history of responding in force to the disaster relief needs of our fellow Americans, and I know this time will be no different,” he said.
Stow Mayor John Pribonic said he asked Stow residents to join him in helping residents of Mayfield, Kentucky.
“If there is a small part we can play in alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by this disaster, I know our ‘Stow Strong’ residents will want to be a part of it,” he said.
