THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2012 d PAGE 13-Awww.heritage.com

By Ben BairdHeritage Media

Donations of food, water and other essentials were some of the ways village businesses helped out in the aftermath of the March 15 tornado.

Another way was a com-munity barbecue that was held March 18.

Megan Stehley-Landrum, who owns Red Brick Kitchen & Bar with her husband, said the bar-becue was held in Dexter Community Park behind LaFontaine Chevrolet. She said Red Brick and Knight’s Restaurants are worked together on the bar-becue, where they grilled hamburgers and hotdogs.

The barbecue was for anyone in the community who wanted to come down and maybe catch up with each other after such a disruption in their lives, she said.

She said she also coordi-nated with Red Brick’s food distributor Sysco to donate about $10,000 worth of food, water and other necessities like garbage bags to resi-dents. These items were delivered Friday to the Fire Department and directly to residents at Huron Farms, Mill Creek and Carriage Hills, she said, all the major drop off locations. She is grateful Sysco was willing to help, she said.

“The worst they could do was say no, but they said yes,” she said. “It was more than generous.”

Today the restaurant also arranged to have some trucks of donations deliv-ered to St. Andrew’s United Church of Christ, she said. She said Red Brick employees have helped with the effort and have also personally donated plenty of clothing and non-perishables.

“Everybody that works here has really stepped up,” she said.

Stehley-Landrum said she grew up in Dexter and lived here most her life.

She used to live in an area hit bad by the tornado, she said. She said it was surreal driving through parts of the village like Huron Farms and past the Laundromat and seeing all the damage.

“I think it was amazing that no one was hurt,” she said. “As bad as it was, it could have been worse.”

Abby Goldberg, Dexter Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, said pretty much every local business has helped out the community somehow.

She is aware of a num-ber of efforts by local busi-nesses, she said, although there are so many it would be difficult to name them all, she said. She said Dexter Mill planning to bring together a donation of clothing. The Chelsea Teddy Bear Company has donated about 150 teddy bears for children who’ve lost what they had or undergoing counseling, she said. She said Dr. Brent Kolb of Dexter Family Dentistry has donated toothbrushes and tooth-

paste.“There’s been such

a huge outpouring,” Goldberg said. “Everyone who can do something has.”

Twenty-five pizzas were donated Thursday night by Aubree’s Pizzeria & Grill to residents at the Mill Creek shelter, said manager Kathy Stanley. She said water and drinks were also provided.

Pizza was also donated

to emergency responders, she said. It was taken to the county sheriff ’s post for police officers, firefighters and DTE Energy workers working in the area, she said. She said pizza was also provided for the police officers who were directing traffic in the streets out-side the restaurant.

She was managing the restaurant when the tor-nado hit, she said. She said customers were scared

while it was going on.Peter Theocharakis,

owner of Dexter’s Pub, said his business has donated pizzas to the American Red Cross to provide to resi-dents. He is glad nobody was badly injured during the tornado, he said.

He’d like to do some type of fundraiser if possible, he said. He said his busi-ness will do what it can do help the community.

“Dexter’s Pub is willing to help,” he said.

Busch’s Fresh Food Market also donated food and water to residents, according to a manager. The business’ vendors donated a copious amount of items such as soda, chips and hand sanitizers, he said.

Volunteers who were out working on fallen trees over the weekend were provided with pizza by Aubree’s and water by Busch’s.

Hackney Ace Hardware has been aiding the effort to remove downed trees by offering to sharpen chainsaw blades for free. According to the business,

it will sharpen blades left at before 8 a.m. by the same time the next day.

The Chamber of Commerce office received about 150 calls from resi-dents Friday who wanted to volunteer in one way or another, Goldberg said. She said the chamber has helped coordinate efforts to get those in need in touch with those who want to volunteer or donate. She said residents can contact the chamber office by call-ing 734-426-0887, and if the chamber can’t help them it will get them in touch with someone who can.

“We’re a hub for resource collecting,” she said.

Staff Writer Ben Baird

can be reached at 734-429-7380 or bbaird@heritage.com. Follow him on Twitter @BenBaird1.

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Red Brick Kitchen & Bar helped organize the donation of about $10,000 worth of water, food and other essentials from its food distributor, Sysco, delivered throughout the village to residents in need.

Businesses lend a hand in tornado’s aftermath

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