While most North Texans are returning to their normal, air-conditioned lives with internet connections and brand new food, there are more than 500 folks who have found themselves more or less homeless. They are the people who until Sunday afternoon had called Elan City Lights home.
Backstory: When the tropical storm-like winds hit Dallas Sunday, a construction crane smashed into the high-rise Elan apartment building, killing one woman. Due to the structural damage to the building, “residents were forced to immediately and permanently relocate while leaving their possessions behind.”
Since it wasn’t your usual “disaster,” the usual organizations couldn’t help provide the everyday necessities for the dislocated apartment dwellers. That’s when former WFAA anchors/“morning after” vodcasters Alexa Conomos and Ron Corning (aka RoLex) jumped in with Big Al’s Smokehouse to come to the aid of the situation.
They have arranged for “Aid for Elan” to be held this Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Big Al’s.
According to Ron, everything is being underwritten, so all proceeds from the event will benefit the residents, and only the residents, of Elan.
What’s more, RoLex have arranged for Dwell With Dignity to coordinate the distribution of products and gift cards for residents, while the Humane Society of North Texas will handle the needs of the residents’ pets.
On board to be part of the effort are Rahr and Sons Brewing, Dallasites 101, Dog and Kitty City, Goodwill, Lemons to Aid and Summit Trucking. The team of volunteers has already arranged for a warehouse with 5,000 items in-house. And the new ride service Alta is offering 50% off for Elan residents.
While the event is free, attendees are strongly encouraged to donate cash and/or gift cards from Target, Walmart and Lyft/Uber.
To add a special “Wow!” factor, RoLex will be live-streaming the event here. And, of course, you can always catch the twosome on “morning after,” a weekly show produced by On-Air Media.
BTW, if you can’t make the event, Dallasites 101 is collecting clothes, food, water bottles, kitchen supplies and toiletries at five area businesses and “aggregating volunteers to assist the residents.”