On September 28, 2002, a terrible tornado tore through Indianapolis, laying its rage on the humble homes in Perry Township. It miraculously leaped over Douglas MacArthur Elementary School but nearly flattened the Baxter YMCA. From there it ripped through a community where it devastated the entire district. Because the City of Indianapolis failed to immediately respond to the needs of this neighborhood, we, a care-connected community, took action.   On behalf of the affected families, I founded the “Clean-up Crew of 2002”. I contacted the tax authority in Perry Township and requested they halt taxing property that was no longer standing. I assisted in coordinating the effort to get the roads cleared so that safe passage into and out of the community could be reinstated. I negotiated with Mary Duesel, Vice President of Citizens Gas, for the use of their industrial equipment and personnel, the first and only time Citizens Gas has ever permitted this use for unrelated company benefit in its history. I began a campaign of urgent calls to get Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson to visit the community. I contacted the Indianapolis Star Newspaper and invited them to visit. I photographed the clean-up event and later created this video to remember it.   The effort ultimately brought food and funds to families that were left to rebuild following the disaster.

1. CLEAN UP CREW OF 2002
BY:
CYNTHIA SMITH-WALKER
EMAIL: csmithw@wgu.edu

2. CLEAN UP CREW OF 2002
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3. CLEAN UP CREW OF 2002
On September 28, 2002, a terrible tornado tore through Indianapolis, laying its rage on the humble
homes in Perry Township. It miraculously leaped over Douglas MacArthur Elementary School but
nearly flattened the Baxter YMCA. From there it ripped through a community where it devastated
the entire district. Because the City of Indianapolis failed to immediately respond to the needs of this
neighborhood, we, a care-connected community, took action.
On behalf of the affected families, I founded the “Clean-up Crew of 2002”. I contacted the tax
authority in Perry Township and requested they halt taxing property that was no longer standing. I
assisted in coordinating the effort to get the roads cleared so that safe passage into and out of the
community could be reinstated. I negotiated with Mary Duesel, Vice President of Citizens Gas, for
the use of their industrial equipment and personnel, the first and only time Citizens Gas has ever
permitted this use for unrelated company benefit in its history.
I began a campaign of urgent calls to get Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson to visit the community. I
contacted the Indianapolis Star Newspaper and invited them to visit. I photographed the clean-up
event and later created this video to remember it.
The effort ultimately brought food and funds to families that were left to rebuild following the
disaster.

4. CLEAN UP CREW OF 2002
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5. CLEAN UP CREW OF 2002
BY:
CYNTHIA SMITH-WALKER
EMAIL: csmithw@wgu.edu

6. Questions
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contact me at: csmithw@wgu.edu
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