Benefit for fire victims is today
The community is rallying together to support six Delek employees who were injured in a fire that erupted Feb. 27 at the El Dorado oil refinery, formerly Lion Oil.
On Friday, local automobile dealer the Karl Malone Auto Group — the retired NBA legend and Summerfield, Louisiana, native, recently purchased Teague Auto Group in a deal that includes the Teague Toyota-Chevrolet and FordLincoln lots on West Hillsboro — and Jeff Teague announced donations totaling $40,000 to kick off a fundraiser to help the men who were hurt in the fire.
The fire broke out during a turnaround, major maintenance and repair project, at Delek.
Today, East Elm Street will be blocked off between North Washington and North Jefferson avenues for a community-sponsored fundraiser that will be filled with family-friendly activities and opportunities to make donations that will be used to assist the injured Delek employees, known collectively as the EDR6 (El Dorado Refinery), and their families.
The Families Helping Families fundraiser is slated from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at 112 E. Elm, which formerly housed Mr. Tuxedo.
Liz Fairris, senior administrative assistant at Delek, said there will be free popcorn, hot dogs, drinks and a variety of activities for children — balloons, face-painting and bouncy inflatables.
Kernel Mustard’s Hot Dog Cart and Catering will provide free hot dogs for the crowd.
Oh How Sweet Cotton Candy, a cotton candy company that serves South Arkansas and North Louisiana, will be on site selling cotton candy in an array of colors and flavors. Ten percent of the proceeds from cotton candy sales will go to Families Helping Families, Fairris said.
T-shirts and hats, featuring aerial photos of the Delek refinery lighting up the night sky, will also be on sale for $20 each.
The Delek Fund for Hope is providing the items and all proceeds will be donated to the EDR6.
Fairris said five of the injured men are home from the hospital and the sixth remains in the Intensive Care Unit.
“This is an event to raise money for these guys. The medical bills don’t stop. The energy bill doesn’t stop. The water bill doesn’t stop,” she said. “We just want to take the financial burden off their shoulders so they can focus on getting their lives back together.”
She added that the five workers who have been released from the hospital are still convalescing — a process that includes follow-up doctors’ visits, therapy and other medical procedures. Community clean-up also scheduled
Admission for the fundraiser is free and the event is open to the public.
Fairris thanked everyone who contributed to and helped to organize the fundraiser.
“This event is community-sponsored across the board,” she said. “Had it not been for the community, this event would not be what it is by any means. The community really showed up and showed out for this.”
Donations to the EDR6 may also be made at any First Financial Bank location.
“You can go through the drive-through or you can call and ask about the Delek Employee Support Fund and they’ll know what you’re talking about,” Fairris said.
Community cleanup City officials are encouraging residents to participate in the Jimmy Reed Jr. and Tony Henry Ward 3 Community Cleanup will go on as planned — from 9 until 11 a.m. today.
Reed and Henry are former El Dorado City Council members who died while in office.
Reed in 2009 at the age of 68 and Henry in 2018 at 58. Both sat in the Ward 3, Position 2 council seat. They championed beautification and worked to help rid the city of litter and in other community service endeavors.
“We want all constituents from Ward 3 to participate,” said Council Member Andre Rucks, Reed’s nephew and Ward 3, Position 2 representative.
The cleanup is the first to be held as part of the city’s new Ward Rewards initiative, which will offer incentives to help residents build and keep them engaged in a sustainable cleanup campaign citywide.
Groups who are interested in participating in the cleanup may sign up by calling Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer at 870-3150004; Ward 3, Position Council Member Willie McGhee at 870-314-1441; Rucks at 870-312-6873; or former Ward 3, Position 2 Council Member Kensel Spivey-Green at 870-9187674.
Volunteers may also sign in at one of 10 checkpoints, where they will receive assignments for streets to be cleaned and supplies. Checkpoints include:
• Mattocks Park, Detroit and Sharp streets.
• Starlight Baptist
Church, 1406 Detroit.
• St. John Missionary Baptist Church, 1018 Wilson.
• New Bethel Baptist Church, 800 S. Smith.
• The former site of the Southside Elementary School, South Jackson and Pecan.
• Murmil Education Center, 2000 Ripley.
• Marrable Hill Chapel, 110 E. Chapel.
• St. James Village Outreach Facility, 1108 E. Hillsboro.
• The former site of Pine Tree Motel, Junction City Road and Oliver Avenue.
• CARSTAR Laneys Collision Center, 916 E. Hillsboro.
• New Bethel Baptist Church, 800 S. Smith.