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SALT LAKE CITY — As Texas continues to dry out from Hurricane Harvey, one Utah woman was determined Friday not to let a far smaller storm wash out efforts to help a family in need.
Lindsay Wade had organized a bake sale in her Sugar House yard aimed at benefiting the family with seven children whose home was underwater in Houston, when a thunderstorm passed over her yard Friday afternoon.
“The rain just kept pouring down,” Wade said. “We had to pull out our umbrella and cover all of these baked goods so they wouldn’t get ruined.”
Soon, though, the rain gave way to partly cloudy skies, and Wade — accompanied by her husband, Nick, her 5-year-old daughter, Paisley, and several others — resumed the business of helping the Texas family, dollar-by-dollar and cupcake-by-cupcake.
“There are little kids that don’t have anything at their house any more,” Wade said. “We thought we could raise enough money to help with their school clothes and supplies and get them to have a good day the first day of school.”
Over a few hours, Wade said neighbors and other passersby pitched in more than $1,000 in cash and contributions from the Venmo app.
“Our cookies are only a dollar and people are donating $20 at a time,” Wade said. “We’ve had people ‘Venmo’ $100.”
Some of the neighbors who contributed money sustained flooding damage themselves during a July thunderstorm.
“It makes you realize how little we were really affected — that you can really get in some serious trouble, like in Houston,” said one of the affected homeowners, Katie Stringham.
Wade — who got the idea of a bake sale after observing photos and videos of other Harvey fundraisers on Instagram — said she was happy to organize an event that enabled her daughter and other children to aid in the cause.
“It’s been so fun and it’s been so fun to see all the little kids come out,” Wade said. “I love watching them wanting to help other kids.”
