OAK CREEK, Wis. — What began as a small bottled water drive inside an Oak Creek bar has now grown into a major community-led relief effort sending multiple semi-truck loads of supplies to tornado victims in northeast Wisconsin.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Oak Creek bar launches water drive for Fox Valley tornado victims
South Bound Again owner Tim Wishman said he originally thought the donation drive would fill a single van.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Oak Creek relief effort grows into semi-truck operation for tornado victims
“I only thought I was going to fill up a van, and now we got semi loads going up,” Wishman said Monday while standing inside Watchpoint Logistics’ Oak Creek warehouse surrounded by pallets of donations.
The relief effort started after devastating tornadoes tore through Menasha, Appleton and surrounding Fox Valley communities, destroying homes and displacing families.
“When I saw it, it just ate me alive,” Wishman said. “Seeing all these homes just to nothing.”
The community response quickly expanded beyond Oak Creek. Donations poured in from across southeastern Wisconsin, including Elkhorn, Racine, Menomonee Falls, Germantown and Mukwonago.
Wishman said many people simply showed up and dropped off supplies without asking for recognition.
“Several people came in and said they saw it on the news and they dropped off stuff,” he said. “Didn’t put a name on the counter, just walked out.”
Watch: Oak Creek relief drive sends semi-truck full of aid to Fox Valley tornado victims
As bottled water donations flooded in, organizers worked with the Red Cross to shift toward other urgently needed supplies, including diapers, sports drinks, cleaning products and hygiene items.
Watchpoint Logistics - Milwaukee Terminal's Matt Meyer, President of Operations, and Leo Finley, President of Finance, stepped in to help coordinate transportation and delivery efforts.
“We loved what they were doing,” Meyer said. “We said, ‘You don’t need to rent a U-Haul. We’ve got plenty of trucks here.’”
Finley’s daughter works with the Red Cross, helping organizers identify the most-needed supplies and coordinate distribution points in Green Bay.
“Everybody’s first thought is water, which is great,” Finley said. “But at some point there was just too much. So they sent us a list of needed items.”
He added that local businesses like Kunes Chevrolet GMC of Elkhorn made big donations to help.
The supplies are scheduled to be transported north Tuesday morning, where Red Cross emergency response teams will distribute them throughout impacted communities.
For volunteers helping load the trucks, the experience has been emotional.
“It’s really heartwarming to see that everyone can come together and support one thing,” said volunteer Taylor Holberg of New Berlin. “Even if it’s something small, it can make a huge difference for a lot of different people.”
Meyer said the effort has reminded him of the generosity people show during difficult moments.
“There’s a thing called Midwest nice, and it’s legit,” Meyer said. “People want to help. They want to donate. They want to be part of it.”
Wishman said seeing the support from strangers has been one of the most rewarding parts of the entire experience.
“There’s really good people out there,” he said. “A lot of people joined together and came around.”
And if another disaster strikes?
“I’ll do it again if I have to,” Wishman said.
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