IMPORTANT: Addresses for product and money donations for Katrina support

PRODUCT DONATIONS TO ORGANIZED STAGING AREAS

What to know before sending anything! (updated September 27, 2005)

Please, no used clothing
Buffalo Peak wants to thank those who have donated for their generosity, but requests that people no longer send donations of used clothing. The primary needs now are tents, hand tools for clean-up, underwear, socks and insect repellent.

To donate these and other items to Buffalo Peak, contact Bobby McCain at bob@buffalopeak.net; 601-366-2557. Prior to shipping your donation, please contact McCain to ensure that there is a need for the items in your shipment.

No loose items
Due to the overwhelming amount of need and the limited capabilities currently of the overworked distribution centers, we have been informed that most of the distribution centers supporting Katrina victims do not have the manpower to sort, package and redistribute loose items. While appreciative of the thought, in many cases, distribution centers are now simply refusing to accept loose clothing and unpackaged items.

This is not a garage sale effort
We have been made aware of cartons of used gear arriving at some distribution centers that look as though someone simply cleaned out a garage or back warehouse of unwanted gear. While the thought is in the right place, this type of donation is not currently needed and is better suited for local distribution to shelters. Please, if you are seeking to send product donations of tents, sleeping bags, backpacks, duffels, shoes, clothing…anything and everything that you might imagine a person who is now homeless might need and find useful, ensure that it is in like-new quality and condition, and individually packaged.

Current retail sites accepting product donations for Katrina victims

Buffalo Peak Outfitters
Buffalo Peak Outfitters in Jackson, Mississippi is serving as a clearing house for donations to both victims and relief
workers. Their current needs continue to be: water purification, lighting, camp
showers, sleeping pads, shoes, family size tents, and clothing.

To find out what the most current needs are, you can contact Bobby
McCain, Tommy Smith or any of the staff at the store at 601-366-2557

Ship small amounts of product donations to:
Buffalo Peak Outfitters
Hurricane Katrina Relief
4500 I-55 North
115 Highland Village
Jackson, MS 39211

Shipment update as of September 14, 2005 — Companies seeking to donate equipment that will arrive on multiple pallets need to contact Tommy Smith first at 601-366-2557. He will be continually updating a list of suitable distribution centers that will be able to receive large shipments of donated product along the Gulf Coast. Please Do Not ship large pallets of equipment to Buffalo Peak as their staff is no longer able to process it effectively.

The Backpacker
Dale Mathews and his son, Michael, co-owners of The Backpacker, have volunteered their store as a staging area for distributing outdoor product donations to the Baton Rouge region.

Ship product donations to:
The Backpacker
Hurricane Katrina Relief
7656 Jefferson Hwy.
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Before
shipping product, contact the store at 225-925-2667 to determine what
the needs are.
Keep trying as the lines may be busy.

FINANCIAL DONATIONS TO PURCHASE PRODUCT FOR KATRINA VICTIMS

While the product donations are rolling in, often times the specific product is not arriving quickly enough. Buffalo Peak Outfitters has begun purchasing products at a discount from suppliers specifically for the Hurricane Katrina victims in need. You can support this effort by sending tax-deductible donations by checks made out to Mission First. Send the checks to:

MISSION FIRST
P. O. Box 250
Jackson, MS 39205

VERY IMPORTANT!!! — In the check memo section, you must write the following:
“ATTENTION- HURRICANE RELIEF/BPO”

This will direct Mr. Lee Thigpen of the church to direct those monies to the fund used by Buffalo Peak Outfitters to purchase screen tents, insect repellent, portable showers and more for those residents in need along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

To read all stories, industry information, requests, needs,
places to help, and find information on the fitness, sporting goods and
outdoor industries, go to our Hurricane Katrina center by clicking here or go to our home page, www.outsidebusinessjournal.com
and find the link on the upper right. We are providing free access to
all Katrina-related stories as a communication service to those in
need, and those who are volunteering.