Legendary singer Neil Diamond, who has held a soft spot in his heart for the Houston area since the early days of his career, is helping the area to rebuild following the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Ike. After witnessing the destructive aftermath of the storm first-hand, the performer snapped into fundraising mode. All of the merchandise proceeds from the rest of his 2008 concert tour were committed to helping the residents of the tiny fishing village of Oak Island, which was essentially wiped out. He matched a portion of those funds himself and also began — and continues — to accept donations on his Web site. The $1.8 million effort is finally paying off, with 14 local families receiving reconstructed homes that have been raised on 13-foot pylons to help weather future storms. The remaining Oak Island residents, who are living in temporary FEMA trailers but must vacate them in March, should be eligible for federal grants from $21 million earmarked for reconstruction, according Rev. Danny Biddy, a member of the Chambers County committee that helped select the 14 households out of 70 applications that were submitted.
From “Act of Kindness Repaid 43 Years Later” Houston Chronicle (09/27/09) Horswell, Cindy
