Good Works: Burners in the Gulf

Today, I'm pleased to share two articles from the SF Bay Guardian and a letter of thanks from the Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Mississippi. Impressive work for a bunch of freaks who throw a big "party" in the desert. Please read and support these folk as you are able. They're still down there plugging away at the devastation. ~Gregg

From the Guardian(links below): "Burning Man, the giant art festival in the Nevada desert, has a reputation in some quarters as a self-indulgent freak fest. And for a lot of the people who make the trip, it's mostly a party. But behind the scenes, the event is a serious operation: Someone has to build from scratch and then take down what amounts to a medium-size city every year."

"So Burning Man has spawned a large network of resourceful people with all manner of survival, construction, and cleanup skills and when Katrina hit, during last year's festival, some people decided to put their well-honed community-building skills to work on the Gulf Coast."

Read the full article

A companion piece by one of the burners

A letter from the Buddhist Temple to Larry Harvey:
"February 5, 2005

Dear Larry:

I am writing in my capacity as treasurer and member of the Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Mississippi to extend our heartfelt thanks for the assistance provided by your volunteers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Our temple was devastated by flooding, that reached to the ceilings, threatening the 58 souls who had taken refuge in the attic. In the aftermath of the storm the walls, ceilings, insulation had to be removed and replaced.

One of my relatives attends Burning man yearly and communicated our plight to Phillip Lindsay, a contractor in Oregon who wanted to help. Phillip and his son Matthew drove to Biloxi with a crane and tractor to help rebuild the VIetnamese neighborhood that was leveled by the storm. We established a location for them on the grounds of the temple, from which they reached out into the community. They also began help in rebuilding our temple. With a 40 ft. dome in place, we established a free medical clinic, food distribution area and supply storage. The Burning Man volunteers that joined us in Biloxi distributed each day more than one 18-wheeler load of food and supplies. As the effort grew, 20-40 volunteers at a time rotated through the site. Richard Scott joined us early in the process and added his expertise to the construction effort. The group was loaned a mammoth front-end loader and track hoe for their demolition work. As a group, their benefit to our community cannot be overemphasized. Every day they went out into the community to clear lots and bring down derelict homes. Every day another family was touched by their generosity.

By mid-January the temple was complete, ready for the annual Vietnamese new year celebration, and the volunteers moved on to the Poplarville area, where they are continuing their good work. Our congregation extends its thanks to your group, nebulous as it is, for your support. Without the help of the volunteers, the temple would still lie in ruins.

Sincerely Yours,

Don La Grone, M.D.
Treasurer
Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Mississippi"