Today in Land of Enchantment's recommended diary about the Dakotas Snow Emergency: Charity and Beyond translatorpro first alerted us to an astounding comment by Cheyenne River Reservation Tribal Chairman Joseph Brings Plenty:
...It's amazing. [the fund raising boost by Keith] It actually started coming before any federal relief came in.
The rest of the great article is at ArgusLeader.com Pundit sounds off, ice-hit tribe thrives. Go read the whole thing!
Keith used this quote in his intro tonight and then launched into more from the article like this comment from South Dakota Community Foundation's president Bob Sutton whose:
...Blackberry was set up to buzz him with an e-mail every time someone made an online donation to the Cheyenne River effort.
"Within the first 20 minutes, I had hundreds of e-mails on my Blackberry," he said. "It was unbelievable. I had to go out in the lobby and check it; I thought something was wrong because it just kept buzzing.
Mr. Sutton reported the donations now total over $250,000.
H/T Diogenes2008
Transcript:
And now tonight's first quick comment and an update on your help
during the crisis on the reservations in South Dakota. Cheyenne River
Tribal Chairman Joe Brings Plenty advises us that about 95% of the
power is back on. The top issue now remains the troubled water
infrastructure. FEMA says, just today, the gathering of information
has been completed, which will l let the administration and the state
issue preliminary damage assessment, the assessment without which FEMA
can't begin to provide funds.
We are sending a producer to South Dakota to get some sense of what is
going on on the ground. As to the charities, which are all still
linked on our site countdown.msnbc.com, your generosity is
overwhelming us and them. Your contributions to Cheyenne River Sioux
Tribe Storm Relief Emergency Assistance are now at about a quarter of
$1 million.
Chairman Brings Plenty told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader newspaper
that the donations will pay for permanent generators and shelters, for
mobile trailers to be used as emergency command centers, for blankets
and pillows, and home repair. "It's amazing", he said, "it actually
started coming before any federal relief came in."
The newspaper also puts this in more visceral terms. Bob Sutton, who
set up that website, rigged his Blackberry to buzz each time there was
a donation online. He was at dinner Tuesday night when we first
mentioned his fund. "It was unbelievable" he said, "I had to go into
the lobby and check it, I thought something was wrong because it just
kept buzzing."
Well done!
H/T Bill in MD
[My emphasis]
From past Countdown coverage:
NEWS:
From Bill in MD's diary: Keith Olbermann Links to Two More Donation Sites For S.D. Rezs:
Countdown continues its coverage "of the humanitarian crisis on the ice storm and blizzard ravaged reservations of South Dakota."
Keith Olbermann thanked his viewers tonight for raising so much money and listed two more ways to donate online. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe's new online donation page. Plus the link we recommended at the top of our diary today to the Native American Heritage Association (NAHA).
The clip:
Transcript courtesy of Kimberley:
"And now tonight's first Quick Comment, and you overwhelm me--as usual.
"Last night, continuing our coverage of the humanitarian crisis on the ice storm and blizzard ravaged reservations of South Dakota, I mentioned a Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Storm Relief emergency assistance fund, and we linked to it. They were hoping, by the end of the month, to have raised $35,000.
In 24 hours, you donated approximately $185,000. They thank you and I thank you.
"If anybody wants to go further, the chairman of the tribe tells us the consciousness of politicians is as important as donations right now. FEMA has yet to declare the region a disaster area, and there's something else that could kill about 40 birds with one stone there: They've patched much of the water and power infrastructure back together but they really need an overhaul and something in the jobs bill, or some stimulus money, could not only protect power, heat and water there, it could also put some of the thousands of unemployed Native Americans to work in their own communities. So you could call, write, or e-mail your congressmen and or senator.
"If you're still looking to donate, the Cheyenne River Tribe has its own site. There's also a terrific charity that looks out for all of the reservations effected by the horrific winter in South Dakota: The Native American Heritage Association. And we have linked to both of them on our site, Countdown dot MSNBC.
"Every time I feel the futility of not knowing what to do about one of these crises, I forget to ask the most reliable people I know--you guys. Thanks again."
From navajo's diary Countdown Raises Over $140,000 for S.D. Rez
Wow. Behold the power of a national news broadcast. Last night Kossack Keith Olbermann reported a second time about the ice storm disasters (H/T Kimberley) affecting our reservations in South Dakota and this community cheered as we watched the site he featured go from aproximately $20,000 in donations to over $160,000 in seven hours!
From Kimberley's Diary, FEB. 9:
Tonight, Keith Olbermann again trained Countdown's eye on the 50,000 people suffering on reservations in South Dakota.
Quick Quote:
"Doing nothing for these people: An American tradition since at least 1776."
Tonight's Clip:
From navajo's Diary, FEB 8th:
Last night Keith Olbermann named the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs to his Worst Persons in the World for completely ignoring three major American Indian reservations in South Dakota devastated by winter storms.
We broadcasted our enthusiasm that perhaps Keith read our diaries and last night to everyone's astonishment Keith commented:
[It's more fun to read it in that booming Keith Olbermann voice]
Key words: We will get more pointed as we go.
Here's the clip from last night:
H/T TiaRachel
To find out how you can help please see these two diaries:
Dakota's Rezs Winter Heating Funds Ran Out In December
Please Continue Your Support of South Dakota Reservations