Latest news with #Graves
Indianapolis Star
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indy Council Democratic leader is 'closely monitoring' allegations against Councilor Keith Graves
A top Democrat on the Indianapolis City-County Council, Maggie Lewis, said she is "monitoring" allegations of domestic abuse being made public against another council member, Keith Graves. IndyStar reported earlier this week that Graves, 59, faced domestic violence claims by two women. One woman, Laurin Embry, 29, told IndyStar Graves sexually and physically abused her when they were in a relationship and after they broke up. Another woman who requested anonymity filed and was granted a domestic abuse protective order against Graves last year, before later dropping it to preserve her privacy. Graves has denied all of the allegations, saying he never "jeopardized anyone's safety, comfort, or dignity." "I am deeply disappointed by the allegations being made against me," Graves previously told IndyStar. "I unequivocally deny the false and hurtful claims that are now being shared." However, Lewis, the council's majority leader, said in a July 11 statement that she was "made aware and am closely monitoring allegations being made against one of our caucus members and am committed to confirming their validity." "If information emerges that negatively affects the integrity of the caucus, we are dedicated to taking all necessary actions to do what is right," Lewis said. "We urge the community to respect the privacy of everyone involved and to be patient as we work to address this issue with council leadership and the caucus." More: Indianapolis City-County Council Democrat accused of physical and sexual abuse The Indianapolis City-County Council has investigated how Mayor Joe Hogsett's administration handled harassment and assault claims against his former Chief of Staff Thomas Cook. But the legislative body has increasingly faced scrutiny, particularly after a June 9 incident where City-County Council President Vop Osili ordered sheriffs to forcibly remove a woman, Lauren Roberts, who was trying to express concerns about the council's investigation. Osili later said he "failed" when removing Roberts. Four members of the 25-member City-County Council have called for Hogsett's resignation and in June the whole Democratic caucus released a statement chastising his leadership but stopping short of calling for his resignation. Lewis' statement on July 11 referenced that statement, which read in part that "the residents of Indianapolis deserve a city government that is accountable, honest, and reflective of the community's highest aspirations. Public trust is a sacred obligation continuously earned through principled moral leadership and responsible governance.' "This statement also applies to members of the Indianapolis City-County Council," Lewis said in the July 11 statement. Following IndyStar's reporting on Graves, most individual councilors and elected Democrats have been silent on the matter regarding their colleague, though Democratic socialist Jesse Brown called for his resignation and for the council to censure him. Marion County Republican Party Chair Natalie Goodwin released a statement criticizing Democratic leadership of the council. 'It's becoming clear why the Democrats on the City-County Council refuse to hold Mayor Joe Hogsett accountable for the sexual harassment scandal he permitted under his watch,' Goodwin said. "The Council now faces its own allegations, and the lack of leadership from the Council Democrats is appalling. ... The victims deserve respect, dignity and justice, and our current Democrat leadership is failing them." There have also been responses in support of the women who made allegations against Graves from some former Hogsett administration workers who have been critical of the administration. For example, Maggie Adams-McBride, a former project manager for Hogsett, posted on social media that Embry showed "immense courage in telling her story." "At what point is enough enough for Democrats in Indianapolis?" Adams-McBride wrote.
Boston Globe
09-07-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Victims, young and old, are remembered
Renee had just completed second grade and aspired to play the lead role in an upcoming camp production, according to a 'Renee was a great classmate, friend and teammate,' the obituary said. 'Being an athlete but a cheerleader at heart, Renee often found herself rooting for both teams.' Advertisement Sally Graves Sally Sample Graves, 91, was killed in the Texas flood when her home was swept away by the rampaging waters, her family said. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Graves was with her son and his dog, granddaughter Sarah Sample said in an Instagram post. 'A powerful 30 ft wave destroyed her home, sweeping her and our dad downstream,' Sample wrote. Graves's son and his dog survived. 'We find solace knowing our dad was with her until the very end; caring for her as he has for years,' Sample added in her post. 'Her unwavering dedication to family has left an indelible mark on our lives.' Graves spent her life performing 'innumerable, quiet acts of service,' according to a funeral home obituary. Advertisement 'Sally was known for her sharp intellect, quick wit, and gracious spirit,' the obituary read. 'A consummate host, she had a special way of making others feel welcome and cared for, creating a beautiful home filled with laughter and hospitality.' Mary Grace Baker Mary Grace Baker, who had recently celebrated her first Holy Communion, was among the victims at Camp Mystic. 'Mary Grace was a bright light in our close-knit school family, known for her kindness and friendship to all, her joyful spirit and her love for her faith and family,' St. Anne Catholic School in Beaumont said on Mary Grace had just completed second grade. The school's post described her as a 'girls' girl who loved pink sparkles and bows in her signature angelic ringlet curls.' The school asked its community to place pink ribbons in trees in honor of Mary Grace after she went missing following the floods. Julian Ryan Father and fiancé Julian Ryan of Ingram, Texas, died while saving his family during the flooding and helping them escape. In an interview with KHOU, his fiancée Christina Wilson said that the 27-year-old severed an artery in his arm when he broke a window to get her, their children, and his mother to the roof. 'He looked at me and the kids and my mother-in-law and he was like, 'Sorry, I'm not gonna make it. I love y'all,' Wilson said. James and Cindy Rushing James and Cindy Rushing were camping along the Guadalupe River at the HTR TX Hill Country Campground on the Fourth of July when the flooding struck. 'The amount of grief my family is feeling is immeasurable,' their son, James Evan Rushing, wrote in a social media post. 'My parents have been found, and they are unfortunately gone. My heart is broken into pieces.' Advertisement After the flooding, their daughter, Tamra Blasius, visited their campsite and found nothing left. 'Everything gone — their camper, their truck, their belongings — completely washed away. There was no sign that anyone had ever been there. It was absolutely gut-wrenching,' she wrote in a social media post on Saturday. On Monday, Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence Hanna and Rebecca Lawrence were 8-year-old sisters from Dallas who were among the victims killed by the flooding at Camp Mystic. The girls had just finished second grade, their parents said. 'Hanna and Rebecca brought so much joy to us, to their big sister Harper, and to so many others,' John and Lacy Lawrence said in a statement. 'We will find ways to keep that joy, and to continue to spread it for them. But we are devastated that the bond we shared with them, and that they shared with each other, is now frozen in time. ' David Lawrence, the girls' grandfather and former publisher of the Miami Herald, said, 'It has been an unimaginable time for all of us.' He said the girls gave their family, including their sister, joy. 'They and that joy can never be forgotten,' he said in a statement. Reece and Paula Zunker Reece Zunker was described as 'a passionate educator and a beloved soccer coach' by Tivy High School in Kerrville. 'His unwavering dedication to our students, athletes, and the Tivy community touched countless lives and will never be forgotten,' the school posted online Sunday. Advertisement Paula Zunker was a former teacher at the school. 'The care and impact she shared with her students continue to be felt, even years later,' the post said. The couple's young children, Lyle and Holland, were still missing, the school said. The family had been staying at a river house in Hunt. Dick Eastland Among the dead is Dick Eastland, the Camp Mystic director. Paige Sumner, a former camper, described him in a column in the local paper, The Kerrville Daily Times, as 'the father figure to all of us while we were away from home.' Eastland's grandson, George Eastland, wrote in an Instagram 'If he wasn't going to die of natural causes, this was the only other way, saving the girls that he so loved and cared for,' he wrote. Chloe Childress Chloe Childress was among the counselors at Camp Mystic who died in the devastating floods. Childress, 19, 'lived a beautiful life that saturated those around her with contagious joy, unending grace, and abiding faith,' her family said in a statement. 'Returning as a counselor to the place she loved so dearly, Chloe was looking forward to dedicating her summer days to loving and mentoring young girls at Camp Mystic,' her family said. Childress had just graduated from the Kinkaid School in Houston, which praised her as deeply invested in her community. 'Chloe had a remarkable way of making people feel seen. She was wise beyond her years, with a steady compassion that settled a room,' Jonathan Eads, the head of the school, said in a letter to the school's community on Sunday. Advertisement
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa football trio among The Athletic's top 25 Big Ten players
As the dog days of summer continue and football season inches closer and closer, fans like to stay tuned in to all the latest player rankings, team projections and preseason accolades that come out before the ball is kicked off. The Athletic got in on the action when they released their top 25 players in the Big Ten conference entering the 2025 season on Tuesday morning. The list features young phenoms like Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and grizzled veterans like Penn State's Drew Allar. The list also features three Hawkeyes, with one of those three garnering an immense amount of respect. Manny Navarro of The Athletic put the list together and put a pair of Buckeyes with Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs at the top of the list. Iowa fans didn't have to wait long to see their first representation on Navarro's list, though. Which Iowa football stars made the list? The first Hawkeye to make the list was senior offensive lineman Gennings Dunker, who Navarro put as his eighth-best player in the Big Ten for the 2025 season. It's great praise for the 6-foot-5, 316-pound right tackle, who was named to the second-team All-Big Ten squad by the league's coaches after his performance in 2024. He doesn't wear gloves, shops for his clothes at thrift stores and squats close to 700 pounds. The 6-5, 316-pound senior is everything you love about gritty right tackles. He's started 25 games in his career, including 11 last season on the way to a second-team All-Big Ten selection. - Navarro, The Athletic The second Hawkeye to be named by Navarro on this list was Aaron Graves, who came in at the 23rd spot. Graves is coming off a career-best junior season, where he had eight tackles for loss and six sacks. The senior defensive lineman has received a lot of praise this offseason, from being named a preseason first-team All-Big Ten player by Phil Steele to his rank on this list. Graves figures to have a huge season in Iowa City. The 6-4, 300-pound homegrown senior started all 13 games for the Hawkeyes last season, tallying 33 tackles, eight TFLs, six sacks and three forced fumbles. He's considered one of the best interior pass rushers in the country. -Navarro, The Athletic The third and final Hawkeye named on this list was sixth-year center Logan Jones, who came in right behind Graves at the No. 24 spot on this list. Similar to Graves, Jones has received a lot of preseason hype coming off a 2024 season where he was named a first-team All-Big Ten player by the media. Jones and Dunker will be the anchors of an offensive line that will need to protect its new quarterback who's dealt with an offseason injury. The 6-3, 293-pound sixth-year senior squats 705 pounds and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024. He's started 38 games over the last three seasons. -Navarro. Hawkeye fans will get to see all three of these players in action, as well as the rest of the team, next month when Iowa opens its season against Albany on August 30. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Zach on X: @zach_hiney
Indianapolis Star
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indianapolis City-County Council Democrat accused of physical and sexual abuse
Keith Graves, a Democratic member of the Indianapolis City-County Council that's been tasked with improving how the city handles allegations of sexual harassment and abuse, is facing and denying allegations of domestic violence. Laurin Embry, 29, alleges that she experienced physical and sexual assault committed by Graves, 59, between 2020 and 2022, during their relationship and its aftermath. Meanwhile, Embry's claim is not the first time Graves, who was first elected in 2019, has been accused of domestic abuse. Last spring a Marion County judicial official granted a civil protective order to another woman after she alleged domestic violence committed by Graves. That claim was eventually dismissed. No criminal charges were filed in either case, and in a statement Graves denied the claims, saying he never "jeopardized anyone's safety, comfort, or dignity." Embry, a social worker and Democratic campaign volunteer and vice-precinct committee member, is coming forward as Indianapolis Democrats are grappling over how they've responded to past abuse and harassment allegations that have come to light over the last year, ensnaring prominent current and former party members. "I don't think I'll ever have peace or justice," Embry said. "I'm not asking for his resignation. I'm not even asking for the party to hold him accountable because obviously that is just too much to ask of our elected officials. All I'm doing is telling the truth about what happened to me so I can help other people." The Indianapolis City-County Council has come under intense scrutiny as the legislative body has sought to provide oversight over Mayor Joe Hogsett's administration, including investigating how the mayor responded to claims of harassment and assault against his former chief of staff Thomas Cook. Cook last year apologized for past relationships that he said "violated a trust placed in me." Graves has been largely silent publicly during the frequent council debate over the issues, even as three members of his own party on the council have called for Hogsett to resign. The 2024 protective order against Graves was known about by local political insiders, but it wasn't formally discussed among council Democrats or leadership last year, Democratic City-County Council members and a person close to the caucus told IndyStar. Graves continues to serve as chairman of the council's education committee. Graves, in a statement to IndyStar, said Embry's claims were false but did not directly answer many detailed questions sent by IndyStar about the allegations from Embry or the 2024 protective order filed by the other woman. "I am deeply disappointed by the allegations being made against me," Graves said. "These claims do not reflect the values I hold as a father, a brother, a mentor, and a public servant. What was once a mutual and respectful relationship is now being portrayed in a drastically different and troubling way. I want to be absolutely clear: I have never acted in a way that jeopardized anyone's safety, comfort, or dignity. I unequivocally deny the false and hurtful claims that are now being shared." When Embry and Graves met at a local political event in late 2019, she was 24 and starting to become more involved in local Democratic politics. Graves was 53, and had just been elected to a seat on the City-County Council, while Embry had dreams of running for office one day. She said she trusted him because he was an elected official. "He told me he was 42," she said. "Had I known the truth, I could have acted accordingly. My choice was taken away from me." After they met and started talking, Graves said he welcomed becoming "close friends," according to 1 a.m. text messages between the two of them provided by Embry to IndyStar. "What is a close friend to you?" Embry asked in one message. "Trusted person that you get to see and spend time with from time to time," Graves responded. "There's more.. we can identify over time." From there, Embry said, the relationship progressed quickly. Graves invited her to his home a few days later. She said he pressured her to drink alcohol when she arrived. "I had a couple sips of it," she said. "When I drank enough, he was like 'OK, we can go upstairs.' Things were moving a little fast." She woke up in his bed the next morning despite not planning to stay over. They were in nearly constant contact after that, she said. She believed they were in an exclusive relationship and was invested in making it work, ignoring red flags along the way, she said. "Taking myself out of it, if I were a third person, what it would look like to me is an older elected official taking advantage of a younger person," she said. "I always thought I was smarter than average, but I was freshly 24. I was naive." Embry alleged physical and sexual assault by Graves. In one instance, shortly after the relationship began in 2020, she said he became angry that she hadn't responded to his text messages or calls one night when she was asleep. He grabbed her neck, applied pressure, and threatened her, she said. "He accused me of cheating on him," she said. "He stands up and with his hand around my neck, walks me back until my back hit the wall. He told me that he better not find out that I'm seeing anyone else." Embry said the situation eventually de-escalated once she reassured him that she was being faithful to him. Indianapolis resident Paul Alvies, who is Embry's uncle, said Embry told him about that instance shortly after it occurred. "She said something like, 'It won't happen again, she's not going to let no one do that to her,'" Alvies said. "I was like, 'It shouldn't happen in the first place.' I was really angry. I don't care if he's a councilor or not." She also alleged that Graves sexually assaulted her on one occasion in summer 2022, after showing up at her home unannounced. The two were already broken up by that point. "I got that knock on the door in the evening," Embry said. "I'm like, you know what? I'm at least going to confront him about the mental games that I knew about because they had serious consequences." He initially made small talk with her by complimenting a nearby photo of Embry's late father and the urn that contained his remains, she said. She said he eventually tried to persuade her to "continue on with him" but she wasn't interested. She was sitting on the couch when he leaned over her and started to kiss and touch her body, applying the weight of his body against her. She repeatedly asked him to stop, she said. "He used his body to kind of lean over me … and to keep me from pushing him off of me," she said. "I am saying 'No. Stop. Get up.' Eventually, he does get up, but it's important for me to point out that before he did, I really did try to, with all of my might, to get him off of me." Once he got up, she said Graves faced her and rubbed his genitals. She said she found the incident deeply disturbing and disrespectful. "This was not the person that I thought that I loved," she said. She said she didn't go to the police after either incident. Graves, in his statement, said "at no point during that time (of the relationship) did she express feeling unsafe or mistreated. It is disturbing and disheartening that more than three years later, our relationship is being recast in this way." "Abuse is a serious matter, one that I do not take lightly," Graves said. "These accusations are not only false but deeply alarming in their intent and timing." The relationship with Graves deeply impacted Embry's mental health, leading to depression and multiple suicide attempts in recent years, she said. "It had a major toll," she said. "What he describes as healthy and consensual had me contemplating jumping off of an overpass. I actually held a loaded gun to my head." She says it also had a monetary cost. She's paid thousands of dollars for treatment for the resulting trauma and emotional distress, medical bills she shared with IndyStar show. She also has paid out of her own pocket for security when she's in public, Cash App payments show, because she's afraid of being approached by Graves, who she said has appeared at her workplace and home unexpectedly in the past. Beyond the time when she alleges sexual assault occurred, she said there have been other late-night knocks on the door that she believes were from Graves because those occurrences would sometimes coincide with her receiving phone calls from him. A longtime friend of Embry's, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid retribution, told IndyStar she heard knocks when she would stay at Embry's house overnight in 2022. Embry also provided IndyStar screenshots of text messages, repeated phone calls, an email and a Cash App payment made by Graves to her in 2022. "I love you," he texted her on Jan. 12, 2022. She didn't reply, she said and screenshots show. Hours later he followed up again, texting simply, "Laurin." Between Feb. 9 and 11, 2022, he called her six times. She didn't answer. He's also tried to interact with her in professional settings, Embry said. On Feb. 13, 2023, for example, she said he approached her at a housing event she was hosting at the Indiana Statehouse. "I went into fight or flight," she said. "All I could think to do is get my purse and leave. I just got the hell out of Dodge." She once got a notification at 3:58 a.m. one morning in September of 2023 that he started following her workplace's Instagram account. In 2024, she was asked to serve on a panel on housing stability by the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic. She agreed, then later learned he would also be on the panel. He walked up to her before the panel started and touched her arm, she said, which made her uncomfortable. "He hovered over me," she said. "It was consistent, despite me backing up or putting space in between us." This isn't the first allegation of domestic abuse against Graves during his time serving on the council. Last year, another woman filed and was granted a protective order against Graves by a Marion County Superior Court magistrate. The civil protective order, signed in spring of 2024, states that the woman showed, by a preponderance of evidence, that "domestic or family violence has occurred sufficient to justify the issuance of this order." It found Graves "represents a credible threat" to the safety of the woman. IndyStar is not naming the woman as it typically does not name victims of assault without their consent. The day before the protective order, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to Graves' home because of a domestic disturbance, according to a police report. The offense is listed as a "simple assault" and the woman is listed as the victim in the report. No criminal charges were ever filed. A few days later, Graves filed a petition for a protective order against the woman, alleging she committed "repeated acts of harassment against me," including destruction of property. That petition was denied after the magistrate found Graves hadn't shown enough evidence that violence or harassment occurred sufficient to justify the issuance of a protective order. The woman asked a few weeks later that the protective order she was granted be dismissed, which ended the matter. The woman declined to comment to IndyStar. Graves, in his statement, said "while a protective order was once filed, it was voluntarily dismissed without me ever appearing in court. No criminal charges were filed. That chapter is closed, and to this day, we maintain a cordial relationship." The 2024 filing of the protective order was reported on at the time in local political blog and whispered about among some local politicos, but it was never widely reported on by mainstream outlets or publicly addressed by council leaders. At the time, Graves and the woman declined to comment to the political blog. The protective order didn't come up among council Democrats in caucus last year, multiple Democratic City-County Council members and a person close to the caucus told IndyStar, even though some people knew about the claim. Jesse Brown, an outspoken critic of how both council leadership and Hogsett's administration have handled abuse allegations, became aware of Embry's allegation a few months ago when Embry confided in him, he said. Brown said Embry described to him "very clearly nonconsensual and abusive" behavior. He encouraged council leadership to censure Graves and remove his committee chairmanship position. "Why don't we have a plan on how to deal with behavior like that? There's no consistency," Brown said. "In the caucus we see that abuse is tolerated and there's never anything the powerful are forced to reckon with." Council President Vop Osili and Vice President Ali Brown declined to comment on the matter and referred questions to Caucus leader Maggie Lewis, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Embry said it's ironic that Graves is serving on a body that the public expects to provide leadership to reform city policies to protect women. She said she was dismayed after watching other councilors fail to intervene when former Hogsett campaign staffer Lauren Roberts was dragged out of the Council chambers by sheriffs at Osili's command last month as Roberts tried to relay her concerns about experiencing abuse as a Hogsett campaign staffer. "I see victim blaming, I see elected officials quickly trying to put this issue to bed while protecting predators," Embry said. "As a victim, I am seeing the person that perpetrated violence against me silent while all of this is happening." Graves said he was "committed to transparency and accountability." "I reject any attempt to equate my situation with any unrelated matters involving other past or present public officials or city employees," Graves said. "I believe in creating a harassment-free work environment and protecting the physical and mental well-being of every city-county employee. I will continue to serve the people of District 9 with integrity and purpose, as I have always done." Embry said she is skeptical that her story will result in accountability, but she wanted to make a difference for women who want to advance in local politics by sharing her story. "Being able to help others would be the only justice," Embry said.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Raising Cane's Founder Todd Graves Donates $1M To Support Texas Flood Relief Efforts
In the wake of the deadliest flooding disaster in Texas, Raising Cane's founder and CEO, Todd Graves, has pledged $1,000,000 to the American Red Cross to help fuel relief and recovery efforts across the Texas Hill Country. Over the Fourth of July weekend, catastrophic flash floods tore through communities along the Guadalupe River, claiming at least 104 lives statewide, 84 of them in Kerr County alone, including 28 children. The before dawn on Friday, as powerful waters swept through camps and homes, ripping sleeping families from cabins, tents, and trailers and carrying them miles downstream through a torrent of tree trunks and overturned vehicles. Survivors described clinging to trees in the dark, desperately awaiting rescue. Among the most heartbreaking losses were the 27 campers and counselors from Camp Mystic who were confirmed dead. Ten more, nine girls and a counselor, remain missing as of Tuesday. Debris now litters the banks of the Guadalupe River, where twisted trees lie tangled with mattresses, refrigerators, canoes, and even a water-warped family portrait, haunting reminders of what once drew families to the Hill Country for rest and recreation. The National Weather Service initially issued flood advisories on Thursday, followed by multiple flash flood warnings early Friday morning. As conditions rapidly worsened, they escalated to flash flood emergencies, a rare and urgent alert signaling immediate, life-threatening danger to the public. Against this tragic backdrop, Graves announced the million-dollar donation to the Red Cross, which is currently on the ground providing emergency shelters, cleanup and relief supplies, mental health services, financial assistance, and family reunification support, both in-person and virtually. "Our hearts break as we witness the devastating impact of the flooding in Kerrville and the surrounding communities," Graves said in a statement, per a press release sent to The Blast. "We're deeply saddened by the lives impacted and the loved ones lost, and our hearts and prayers go out to everyone affected." He added, "We're sending prayers and strength to all those facing this tragedy and are incredibly grateful for the heroic efforts of first responders and organizations like the American Red Cross for providing critical support and aid to those in need." With more than 200 Raising Cane's locations across Texas, the company has grown alongside the very communities now facing unimaginable loss. The brand's deep roots in the state and its long-standing commitment to community support make this donation more than a symbolic gesture, it's a promise of continued partnership and compassion. "For the past 20 years, Raising Cane's has been proud to serve the people of Texas, and in times like these, we're reminded just how important community really is," Graves said. Stories of heroism and resilience are beginning to emerge from survivors who braved the floodwaters, risking their lives to save others. Among the many heartbreaking stories to surface in the aftermath of the Texas Hill Country, flooding is that of John Burgess, a devoted father who was swept away by the raging waters while clutching his two sons in a desperate attempt to save them. Burgess and his wife, Julia Anderson Burgess, had traveled to the area from Liberty, Texas, over the Fourth of July weekend to pick up their eldest daughter from a nearby camp unaffected by the floods. They were staying at the Blue Oak RV Park, a popular spot for families celebrating the holiday. Lorena Guillen, the park's owner, recalled the harrowing night the floodwaters arrived. Speaking to the New York Post, she described how her husband pleaded with Burgess to throw him the children as the waters rose. "The man was holding tight to his babies, and he just got swept away," Guillen said through tears. "My husband was in the water trying to ask them, 'Please throw me your baby!' But it was too late." Guillen added that the Burgess children were so excited to be there, like so many families who had come to enjoy what was supposed to be a joyful holiday weekend. In total, all 28 RVs parked at the site were destroyed, with cabins and trailers crashing into trees under the cover of night. "We heard people screaming throughout the night," she said. "The cabins from the RV park next door came floating, and they were getting smashed against the trees." As the search for the missing intensifies and communities begin the long road to recovery, Graves' donation is poised to provide vital resources, not just for today, but for the difficult weeks and months ahead. There are several ways to support flood victims and the first responders working tirelessly in the aftermath. To find out how you can help or to make a donation, click here.
