NIWOT — Everywhere you looked, there was generosity.
Dave Turner, the American Red Cross shelter manager, needed only to look at the long list of Boulder County residents who had stopped by to sign a sheet offering places for evacuees to stay. Some tacked on notes like “friendly” and “anyone is welcome.”
Kennels offered free temporary housing for pets, and restaurants brought by hundreds of dollars’ worth of free food for those who were spending the night away from their homes, frightened what they might find when allowed home.
Noodles restaurant in Boulder spread out a smorgasbord at the temporary shelter at Niwot High School, as they did for volunteers and firefighters at three other locations.
“We were watching it all on TV and said, ‘Oh, my goodness, we need to do something,’ ” Noodles employee Susan Shassetz said as she unpacked the feast.
Turner, one of a dozen Red Cross volunteers, said 160 evacuees had signed in at the high school, and 50 cots were available for those who needed to stay overnight, though hotels were offering cut-rate deals.
“Americans are very generous people,” said the retired airline pilot who helps with at least 20 disasters a year with the Red Cross. “When facing dire situations, it brings out the best in people.”
Evacuees mixed their worry with grace and gratitude for the things most important to them.
Helen Thompson, 80, and her husband, Pete, had driven past flames along Nimbus Road as they left their home full of family heirlooms.
“It’s scary,” she said. “But at my age, I’ve been through so many disasters, this is just one more.”
Cmdr. Phil West of the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office told the evacuees he didn’t know when they would be allowed back home, as they huddled in a semicircle around him.
“You folks should know your local fire departments are doing their level best to protect your homes and get back as soon as possible,” he said in a concerned tone.
The remark drew long applause from those assembled.
When Sheriff’s Office Division Chief Dennis Hopper told the group that the Red Cross volunteers would do all they could to help at the shelter, it was met with even louder applause.
“Things don’t matter,” said evacuee Harry Bozani. “People matter.”
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
