By John Elkin, Oregon Rally Group
Special to Rally-America.com

On Dec. 3 and 4, a cold, wet storm pounded Oregon and Washington, swelling streams into raging torrents and causing rivers to rise to unimaginable heights – as was the case of the Nehalem River, which flows through the town of Vernonia, Oregon.

Rally competitors will be familiar with the small town of Vernonia, for each year the Oregon Trail Rally overtakes the surrounding streets and local school. Teams can probably even now envision transiting down Bridge Street toward the school and noting the quaint, old-fashioned feel of the town. However, if you drove down that street today, the view would be drastically different.

Where rally service crews once tinkered with their cars, there are piles of useless school computers, water-damaged desks and equipment, and mounds of soggy books. Restaurant owners shovel mud where customers used to enjoy a hot meal. At least 218 homes are completely destroyed and over 400 have significant water damage.

After hearing the news and seeing images of the damage continuously on local television reports, it did not take Oregon Rally Group members long to mobilize to help a town that has been so friendly to rally competitors. A central depository was set up at the Tabor Accounting Group offices, and on very short notice, members began donating non-perishable food, diapers, baby food, bottled water and clothing. The group accumulated a truckload of supplies within just 24 hours.

On Dec. 8, a caravan of rally people delivered the supplies and $1,300 in cash donations to the Vernonia Cares Food Bank – the same people who prepare lunch for people in the service area at the Vernonia High School during the Oregon Trail Rally.

Eleven Oregon Rally Group members then put on their boots, grabbed trash bags and gloves and were assigned to clean-up duty. They were assigned to Dad’s Recycling Center, which had been washed across a vast area of blackberry brambles and tall river grass, and in some cases, right into the Nehalem River.

Rally people mingled with Red Cross workers, city workers from all across Oregon and people who cared enough to come out. Everyone tramped into soggy fields to retrieve a myriad of items, from the smallest bits of broken glass to waterlogged picnic tables. Items ranging from refrigerators and washers to a weed whacker and stereo equipment were brought to the Recycling Center for proper disposal. It was not the most glamorous work, but it was desperately needed. Most of all, it was genuinely appreciated.

Two more Oregon Trail Rally work groups plan to bring additional food, cleaning supplies, toys and footwear to the area, and there are ways rallyists from across the country can help.

If you have attended the Oregon Trail Rally, experienced the hospitality of Vernonia residents, and would like to help, donations can be mailed to:

Vernonia Cares Food Bank
627 Adams Ave.
Vernonia, OR. 97064

In addition, all the toys for the Vernonia Fire Department Christmas toy drive were destroyed in the flooding. If you would like to make a donation to the toy drive, please contact:

Vernonia Fire Department - Toys & Joy Program
555 E Bridge St.
Vernonia, OR. 97064