Pawnee County family spending spring break helping wildfire victims

Oklahomans are doing what they can to help wildfire victims. One family in Pawnee County is giving up their spring break to hold a donation drive.

Turning Tragedy into Action

Madison McKenzie and her family were fortunate not to lose their home, but the devastation surrounding them was hard to ignore.

“I think the reality of waking up the next morning and the devastation, I mean we are used to tornadoes out here, but not fires like that,” McKenzie said. “The fires were taking everything and so many people lost so much, and we were fortunate not to lose our home but it just wasn't enough."

With a lot of support from friends and family, they cleared out their storage facility to make room for a donation drive.

"It's amazing to see these people come together,” McKenzie said, “Everybody's neighbors, everybody's co-workers or the people you sit with at church or kids that play on the same ball team; that's Oklahoma, they do they come together for each other when we need it."

The Strength of Oklahoma: Neighbors Helping Neighbors

The McKenzies collected things like toothbrushes and clothes to give to people in need. Madison wanted her children to experience firsthand the importance of community service.

“We wanted them here to help and unload stuff and put care packets together and load them up and experience community instead of just hearing about it,” McKenzie said. “I think we watch the news a lot and we see it happening but I want them to be involved in it and so not how we planned on spending spring break, but we are here and that's what we are doing…that's what you get in small-town Oklahoma."

Their donation drive drop-off site is north of Highway 412 in Hallett. They will be open again on Wednesday for people to drop off donations or pick up the things they need.