How you can help: Money, hay donations, supplies for fire victims

When he heard of the seriousness of this week’s wildfires in western Kansas, Todd Domer knew two things.

One was that many ranchers in that area would have no food for their cattle.

The other was that ranchers in other parts of America would be wanting to help.

“We should have hay already at our drop-off site (in Ashland) by sundown (Tuesday),” said Domer, communications vice president for the Kansas Livestock Association. “Hay was on the way early this morning. We knew it would be.”

Domer said the group’s charitable arm, the Kansas Livestock Foundation, has revived the program they ran last year when they, and many benefactors, helped those affected by the 390,000-acre Anderson Creek fire west of Medicine Lodge. This year he hopes things go even more smoothly.

“Last year, the response was a little overwhelming, especially those first hay donations that just came rolling in,” he said. “It was a bit much for our field people out there to handle, so we’re handling it (at Topeka headquarters).”

Last year, unsolicited semitrailer trucks full of hay were rolling into Medicine Lodge as fire crews were still battling the blaze.

Domer said the foundation is collecting both hay and money, as it did last year. It distributed more than $500,000 in donated money and hundreds of big hay bales to 63 families affected by the fire. Donations came from 31 states and 93 of Kansas’ 105 counties. That was in addition to more than $7 million the U.S. Department of Agriculture sent for cost-share funding for ranchers hit by the fire.

“I’m not sure how much hay we got last year, but there was plenty to go around,” said Domer.

The Stockgrowers Bank of Ashland has already donated $25,000 to help get funding started for this year’s relief effort. Domer predicted a steady supply of hay would be coming in, thanks to the natural generosity of ranchers and bumper hay crops from last year’s summer rains.

All will certainly be appreciated. Last year, Dave Brass lost all of the grass and hay on his ranch southwest of Medicine Lodge.

“We made it largely on the generosity of others,” Brass said in an October interview. “We were able to get hay in here very quickly. We didn’t have to pay for it. The offers just kept flooding in. The support was pretty amazing.”

For information on how to ship hay or other materials, call the Kansas Livestock Foundation at 785-273-5115. Checks can be mailed to the foundation at 6031 SW 37th St., Topeka, KS 66614. “Fire relief fund” should be written in the memo line.

Other relief efforts

▪ The Bucklin Community Church is collecting supplies and donations to help fire victims. Checks can be sent to 204 S. Ford, Bucklin, KS 67834. For more information, call 620-682-2098.

“Food, water, clothing, money – whatever those people down there might need,” said Scott Tilley, pastor at the church. “It’s really bad.”

▪ The Wichita-based United Way of the Plains also is gathering money and supplies for those affected by this week’s wildfires.

Monetary donations can be made online at www.unitedwayplains.org/disasterfund; by texting TEAMWORK to 41444 to access a link to make a donations or by mail: Make checks payable to United Way of the Plains and send them to 245 N. Water, Wichita, KS 67202. Please write Reno County Fire, Ford County Fire or Clark County Fire in the memo area.

Reno County relief

The American Red Cross is asking those wanting to donate supplies to Reno and Rice counties to take them to the Walmart Garden Center at 1905 E. 17th St. in Hutchinson. Requested items include water, Gatorade, high-protein snacks, eyedrops, contacts solution, baby wipes, over-the-counter allergy medications and phone chargers. The public is asked to not drop off donations at fire stations.

This story was originally published March 7, 2017 at 8:10 PM with the headline "How you can help: Money, hay donations, supplies for fire victims."