DALLAS (AP) _ The foundation that’s received $3.6 million in donations for the people affected by the West fertilizer plant explosion has given out less than half of that money a year later.
The West Long Term Recovery fund has been criticized by some residents of West for not moving quicker to distribute money. Officials say they’ve run into unexpected delays involving federal regulations and verifying claims.
Suzanne Hack, the fund’s director, tells The Dallas Morning News (http://bit.ly/QW8IyM ) that the fund did not meet her goal of distributing $2 million by the April 17 anniversary of the blast a year ago.
She says work is ongoing to approve claims and help the people of West, where 15 people were killed and more than 200 injured.
————————————–
Meantime, the city park in West, which was destroyed by the explosion, will come back thanks to a five year old who lost his firefighter father.
The second fundraiser for Parker’s Park Project, highlighted by an auction conducted by the auctioneers on the cable TV show Storage Wars Texas, generated $83,000 dollars.
That put fundraising past the $200,000 goal for the firefighter-themed park.
Family and friends of the youngster, Parker Pustejovsky, noted last summer’s first fundraiser also raised $83,000.
The numbers 8 and 3 are significant for Parker’s late father, Joey, who was born August 3…8-3…of 1983 at 8:03 p-m and his birth weight was 8 lbs. and 3 oz.
Click HERE to be directed to Parker’s Park Project Facebook page, which includes the update below:
