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The tornados of Central Florida were some of
the most violent storms the state has ever experienced.
The F-2 and F-3 tornados raged through several
communities in the middle of the night on February
2, 2007, leaving residents with no advanced warning
for preparation or evacuation. The remnants of
the storm left immense destruction and fatalities.
True to form, the Outbackers in Lake County moved
into action. It began with Food Techs Rob Hak
and Tom McGuirk, and the R & D Department
led by Dave Alvarado, who worked quickly to set
up food donations from PFG. PFG also dropped
off a trailer full of supplies right outside
the Outback Steakhouse in The Villages.
JVP’s Pete May and Tyler Williams together
with Managing Partners Bridget Ellis and Phil
Le Boeuf (and their support staff including some
children of Outbackers) formed a “base
camp” at The Villages creating a team focused
on comfort over chaos. The team worked tirelessly
for 2 days, and put together an assembly line
of food. Ultimately, over 3000 meals were
delivered to the residents of the communities
that were hit the hardest. As can be seen in
the photographs, the food was delivered by actually
walking through the wreckage, and it was often
difficult to even reach some of the homes.
Brenda Gregory and her Clermont Outbackers also
collected significant amounts of clothing, money
and supplies to donate to the Paisley community.
We commend all of our Outbackers, with special
mention to those who traveled from outside the
area, for donating their invaluable personal
time and resources to the victims of this unfortunate
event. Through the tears and gratitude, we remembered
what our principle “sharing” is all
about. We are not just located within neighborhoods;
we are a part of the communities.
Information provided
by Julie Guenther, assistant to Jim Pollard,
Dave Alvarado and Bridget Ellis of the Leesburg
Outback Steakhouse.
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