Local News
Fun and games help young tornado victims cope with loss
Baseballs were cracking and balls soared high in the air Saturday at a children's fair for young tornado victims at the Stony Brook North mobile home park, which was hit hard by last week's storms. Volunteers organized the event to help youngsters cope with the disaster. Four children were killed last week at Stony Brook North, which is off Captial Boulevard just north of the beltline, when a tree smashed down on their mobile home.
Dog rescued from debris a week after tornado
Baseballs were cracking and balls soared high in the air Saturday at a children's fair for young tornado victims at the Stony Brook North mobile home park, which was hit hard by last week's storms.
Volunteers organized the event to help youngsters cope with the disaster. Four children were killed last week at Stony Brook North, which is off Captial Boulevard just north of the beltline, when a tree smashed down on their mobile home.
Nearby, the twister destroyed a home belonging to 11-year-old Hevid Hernandez.
"We used to live next to the woods and all the trees that were there came down on our house," he said. "I was feeling kind of sad because I was like, 'Where are we going to live now?'"
But volunteers hoped that a day of fun and games would help the children take their minds off of all the devastation around them.
"Kids can feel the stresses of their parents, so when they have a chance to just let loose and relax, they are a little more healthy," said Brian Sakofsky, who volunteered at the fair.
Some children played baseball, while others enjoyed food, crafts and face painting.
"There are kids that lived it, and they are 5 years old and shouldn't be thinking about that," said volunteer Sarah Morales. "They should be thinking about their imagination and how happy they are."
Parents stocked up on clothes and food items that were donated by the community.
