Recognition dinner a “Farewell to Fay”
Red Cross volunteers celebrate a successful sheltering operation


FORT MYERS, Nov. 1 – A group of around 100 Lee County Red Cross volunteers turned out Sunday at Lakes Regional Park to celebrate the conclusion of an extended sheltering operation following Tropical Storm Fay.
For seven weeks, the Red Cross sheltered hundreds of Bonita Springs residents displaced by flooding following the storm. Over 500 Red Cross volunteers and staff members worked at the shelter and Sunday was an opportunity to look back on what they had accomplished.
“It was a great chance to express gratitude and appreciation to our volunteers,” Disaster Services Chair Carlene Sharples said. “So many of them
were willing to put their entire lives on hold to help out.”
All volunteers received disaster response awards and special Tropical Storm Fay lapel pins to commemorate the event. Lee County’s Parks and Recreation Department provided the site and Haney’s Café, which helped out tremendously during the shelter’s operation, provided Sunday’s meals.
During Tropical Storm Fay, the Red Cross provided –

    • Over 14,000 overnight shelter stays
    • Nearly 150,000 meals and snacks
    • Over 800 health services contacts
    • 764 mental health contacts
    • Over 1,000 clean-up and comfort kits
    • Case management to nearly 150 affected families