News & Press Releases
Local Nonprofit Leader Caught Sandbagging for a Good Cause
CRYSTAL LAKE - John Blanchard, executive director of NASA Education Corporation a 501(c)(3) nonprofit company and current 2008 McHenry County Economic Development Corporation's Special Recognition Business Champion was called upon by McHenry County Board member, District 3, Mary Donner to assist Nunda Township with the cresting Fox River in McHenry, IL.
Mary Donner placed a call to Mr. Blanchard late Wednesday afternoon, April 2nd to see what he and his organization could do to find physical bodies to help with sandbagging efforts in the Orchard Heights subdivision, an area that is right on the Fox River and is quickly hitting flood levels. With the chance of rain in the forecast for Thursday evening, and the already rising Fox River, they needed as much help as humanly possible. Mr. Blanchard, along with a team of NASA Education's program participants who are all military veterans and employees of Blanchard's two other companies gathered together Thursday morning, headed to the Orchard Heights subdivision to join Mary Donner and Nunda Township workers with the task of providing sand bags so that local residents could do what they could to save their family domains. Reports while on site was that the river was rising at approximately 2 inches an hour and local residents were preparing for yet another long evening of possible rainfall that will truly be devastating to that neighborhood if it happens.
Donna Kopsell, staff from the Nunda Township office stated that they had just purchased "The Sandbagger" on Monday, April 1 for approx $18,000 and had it sent directly to the Orchard Heights subdivision. The area of the subdivision which is in distress is located on Riverside Dr. in McHenry, IL. The Sandbagger is a machine that is loaded with sand and then through 4 pour spouts Blanchard's team is able to produce bags filled with sand, which are then tied off and stacked for the local home owners to use to guard their houses from flood waters. There is another subdivision, Bayview Beach, which is in threat of flooding, so as soon as they can, it's off to go do it all over again in Bayview Beach. It's not a matter of being finished in Orchard Heights, but they have to do what they can to assist Bayview Beach subdivision as well. Mr. Blanchard stated, "This isn't something that can be finished in an hour or two, but will be ongoing for quite a while until the water starts to subside." Kane County supplied approximately 120,000-130,000 bags, where McHenry County only had approx 20,000-30,000 bags on hand, requiring Nunda Township to go out and purchase additional bags from an outside source.
John Blanchard, along with Mary Donner and Nunda Township joined forces to help the citizens in McHenry County, especially in the Orchard Heights subdivision. Whether it is a township, county of private entity, these three took on the mentality of doing "whatever it takes" to get the job done.
NASA Education is a Crystal Lake-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive workforce and community reintegration services for U.S. veterans who are displaced, disabled, homeless or otherwise in transition.
For more information about NASA Education, contact Amy Johnson, Program Director, at 866-EDU-4YOU (866-338-4968) or send an email to Amy_Johnson@nasaeducation.org