Valentine's dinner becomes affair of the heart for tornado victims

Published: 2008-02-13

ATKINS, Ark.(CNS) -- Assumption Church's annual Valentine's roast beef dinner became an affair of the heart for victims of a February tornado that swept through Atkins, killing four people and damaging or destroying more than 100 homes and businesses. The Feb. 9 dinner turned into a fundraiser for relief efforts and provided hot meals for victims of the Feb. 5 tornado. "It is from the heart," said dinner organizer Jan Cummings, who oversaw volunteers peeling more than 100 pounds of potatoes. "This year our Valentine's dinner is coming straight from the heart." The dinner raised about $2,000, and it was only one of the activities that converted the church into a service center for a community in need. The day after the tornado, Father Ernest Hardesty, Assumption pastor, opened the parish doors to provide lunch and dinner for firefighters, police officers and other relief workers.

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