Flood Rebuilding Fundraiser Held In Rock County

From Channel3000

"Shoreline Recovery And Restoration" Hopes To Rebuild Area"

NEWVILLE, Wis. -- Down along the Rock River and Lake Koshkonong, the summer is usually one long party. That party was derailed this year due to the June floods.

But a fundraising event held Saturday afternoon to help those impacted by those floods could go a long way to help get the party started again.

To help those still trying to recover, area businesses held a "Shoreline Recovery and Restoration" fundraiser at Fins Bar & Grill in Newville on Saturday.

"People come here because of the lake, the people, and the atmosphere, and we just wanted to bring all that back together," said Susan Hagan of Fins Bar & Grill. "There are a lot of people that live on the lake that can't afford to have the sandbags removed, or pay for the dumpster. We have a lot of elderly people who can't physically take up an 80-pound sandbag."

More than sixty volunteers came out of help, doing everything from manning the grill to selling tickets.

"We got a lot of food up here, we got all kinds of food and drink and entertainment the whole night," said Chico Pope, owner of Buckhorn Supper Club. "People just need to come out here, open their wallets, and be our partner in trying to rebuild the area."

The Recovery and Restoration fund has a lofty goal, but they're not disclosing how much money they're attempting to raise.

But numbers aside, Saturday was all about bringing back summer, and celebrating the sense of community that was necessary during the floods and is equally necessary now during the rebuilding process.

Volunteer and flood victim Beth Bucaida summed up the spirit of the event: "I never could have imagined that this could have happened when I purchased my cottage two years ago. It's just really gratifying to see all of the people that were out helping doing the sandbagging when the flood was coming. People really rallied."

For Rock County businesses and homes along the water, the rallying must continue.