OAK CREEK, Wis. — A local Oak Creek bar and grill is collecting bottled water donations to help families impacted by the devastating tornadoes that tore through Menasha, Appleton, and other Fox Valley communities.
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South Bound Again Bar & Grill launched a week-long water drive after severe storms destroyed homes, knocked out power and left some residents without water service.
The business is matching every case of water donated by the community as part of the effort.
Manager Joy Paul said the goal is simple: get clean drinking water to people who need it most.
“We’re collecting water to help those in need,” Paul said.
Paul said the donations are intended for anyone impacted by the storms, not one specific community, and organizers are working with the Red Cross disaster team to determine where the need is greatest.
“It’s community helping community,” Paul said. “This won’t be the first time, and this definitely won’t be the last time. It’s all about bringing people together and for a good cause.”
Paul described the destruction caused by the tornadoes as “devastating” and said helping during difficult times is part of the culture at South Bound Again.
“The goal is so they have water,” she said. “They don’t have water right now, so getting them as much water as we can get them helps them.”
Watch: Oak Creek bar launches water drive for Fox Valley tornado victims
The effort has already drawn support from community members and local businesses.
One of the first people to donate was Dustin Emond, who said he felt compelled to help after seeing videos and livestreams showing the tornado damage.
“I couldn’t experience losing everything at just a blink of a second,” Emond said. “It’s the least I could do, at least to get some people some water.”
Emond said watching the tornado rapidly grow and tear through neighborhoods was difficult to process.
“It was crazy just to see how fast the tornado formed and just how massive it got, very fast,” he said.
He encouraged others to donate if they are able.
“People’s houses are completely gone and destroyed,” Emond said. “Donating just some water to get donated up there is just a lot to do. It’ll help out tremendously.”
The donation drive has also received logistical support from Watchpoint Logistics, according to the owner, who offered pallets, transportation and storage assistance after seeing the effort online. Organizers say pallets will be picked up nightly, stored and later delivered to affected communities with donated trucks, fuel and labor.
South Bound Again is accepting bottled water donations during regular business hours throughout the drive. They plan to deliver the water next Tuesday but will keep making trips if donations keep coming in. Organizers say they hope the community response continues to grow as recovery efforts continue in northeast Wisconsin.
South Bound Again is located at 9504 S Chicago Rd. in Oak Creek.
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