September 1, 2005
By George M. Brown, Director of University Recreation
We here in Tuscaloosa have been affected by the Hurricane in one of the most profound of ways. We are now “home” to 465+ evacuees from mostly New Orleans, Louisiana as well as Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi. Since Saturday afternoon we are the American Red Cross relief shelter for people who were able to get out before the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. For them, there is no home to return. We have become providers of food, shelter, support, recreation, medical assistance and basically a refuge of hope. I have personally heard stories of the death and destruction that this tragedy has brought these people. There are women about to give birth and the elderly very close to the end of their life in the building. They look at CNN and other news stories and hope and pray their homes and families and friends were some how miraculously spared but in most cases this hope is not likely to be realized.
The children dance and dart and are in utter amazement of the magnitude of a facility such as our wonderful Student Recreation Center. Student organizations, church groups, construction companies, athletic teams from The University of Alabama and departments and businesses from throughout the community have donated personal items, clothes, blankets, food, water and the most valuable commodity of all, their time and talents to helping the children and adults gain some aspect of routine and order amid the destruction that have undergone. We have an infrastructure in place now that would make you swear we were a city within the University.
We are also by day and night a recreation center for our students and community, but to be honest, lounging by the outdoor pool or running on the track is a far lower priority for our patrons now as the reality of a nightly news show recounting how all of this has come to life. I refer to the evacuees (some would call refugees as this is not totally inaccurate at this time) as “over 400 of my best new friends”. Our staff, the absolute greatest collection of people I have ever been around, has been 24/7 with this operation.
We have witnessed music ensembles, barbeques as good as any ‘Bama will see, RA’s from dorms playing with kids with dodge ball, kickball, arts and crafts or just quiet time reading. School registration processing has begun to get these school-aged children back into the world of education. We smile as our UA intercollegiate student athletes all are providing food, sponsoring tournaments and donating proceeds from upcoming sporting events. We have Social Security and Veterans Administration on site to process claims and receive SSI and Medicare checks. Computer access has been established to contact FEMA to begin that process of emergency funds. We have evacuees who will be working as day laborers in and around this campus this weekend with debris cleanup as well as general grounds work and receiving checks daily. As I often am walking through the zones of the SRC where the relief shelter is housed I see children literally clinging to our student and professional staff as well as our wonderful cadre of volunteers. I am not sure who is holding on to whom tighter!
I know this will not go on forever and we will return to our primary purpose as a University Recreation program and facility for our students and University community. I know the tree down in my backyard will be cut and hauled away soon. I know those of us in Tuscaloosa will soon have power and cable restored and we will be relieved to return to that state of normalcy again. And yet, I feel none of us involved in all this will ever look upon what we do and provide in exactly the same way again.
Thanks to all those in the many parts of the country whose support, kind words, contributions and prayers are reaching out to those in need. God bless you all!
George M. Brown
Director of University Recreation
The University of Alabama