A weekend fundraiser in Webster City brought in several thousand dollars to help residents in the nearby community of Stratford, which was hit by a tornado last month. Jane Curtis helped organize the Saturday night fundraiser which included an auction of all sorts of donated items and services. The event was called “Blue Christmas” and besides the auction featured bluegrass music and an Elvis impersonator.
Curtis says more than seven-thousand dollars was raised to help the families in Stratford. Curtis says “It’s beyond the money, it’s amazing the people who come forward, come together and make this happen. It is astonishing.” While 14 central Iowa counties saw significant damage from the November 12th storm’s high winds, tornadoes and hail, Stratford and Woodward were the hardest hit, with dozens of homes damaged or destroyed.