John Marland will stock this trailer with donations and drive it to victims of the tornado in Oklahoma. Submitted photo.
By Carolyn Cronin and Kim Kalunian, WPRO News
In the wake of the destruction caused by the tornado that hit Oklahoma Monday, one local man is looking to make a difference. John Marland of Richmond, RI owns a 24-foot-long trailer, and he plans to stock it up with goods to bring down to the victims of the storm.
“I want to fill the trailer and head down there,” Marland told WPRO Tuesday. “I just decided it was a good thing to do.”
Marland is hoping other charitable Rhode Islanders will help him in his mission, and is asking people to donate items on Friday, from noon to 8 p.m. at Benny’s on Tiogue Avenue in Coventry.
“I can’t believe what people are going through and I thought it was time to step up to the plate,” said Marland. “A lot of people came up and helped Boston out when we went through a traumatic thing up here, there’s nothing like being able to go down there and help other people out.”
Marland is looking for things like bottled water, Gatorade, diapers, work gloves, packaged snacks, blankets, clothes and personal care items. Marland will pack the trailer Friday night and depart Saturday morning. He hopes to reach Oklahoma before the weekend is over.
“It’s a great world we live in and people help out people, and I always look at is at friends helping friends,” he said.
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Carolyn Cronin
