Wauchula Celebrates 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors'
January 12 2005 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Wauchula Celebrates 'Neighbors Helping Neighbors' Community Event
Highlights Hardee Co. Rebuilding Progress Since Hurricanes; Rebuilt
Wauchula Winn-Dixie Store Reopens WAUCHULA, Fla., Jan. 12
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With the color and pageantry of a
hometown pep rally, residents and community leaders of this rural
central Florida community celebrated rebuilding efforts and honored
emergency workers and volunteers as they marked five months since
the first of three powerful hurricanes swept through and damaged
virtually every home and business. Emblematic of recovery was the
reopening today of one of Wauchula's oldest businesses, the
Winn-Dixie grocery store, which had to be rebuilt because of storm
damage. Performances by students from local elementary, junior high
and senior high schools highlighted the program. Wauchula Mayor
David Royal told a crowd of residents, "Hurricanes Charley, Frances
and Jeanne may have destroyed buildings, but they didn't claim a
single life and they didn't destroy the spirit of Wauchula and
Hardee County. What they did is bring us closer together --
neighbor helping neighbor. And that's worth celebrating." "I truly
believe there is a silver lining in the dark clouds of these
storms," said Royal. "It's given us the opportunity to build a
better community in ways that will improve our economy for the
future." "Our store is a microcosm of the community -- it was
knocked down but we've rebuilt and it's stronger because of it,"
said Winn-Dixie CEO Peter Lynch, who attended the ceremony and
welcomed store associates back home. "Our associates, managers and
many of our vendors live here in Wauchula and surrounding Hardee
County. They're happy to be back to serve their friends and
neighbors in their newly rebuilt 'home.'" As a show of support for
Wauchula and all of Hardee County, Lynch and store director Brad
Simpson presented two local non-profit groups with $5,000 checks
for their work. Store managers organized a picnic lunch in the
store's parking lot, offering free hot dogs and drinks to residents
to mark the store's reopening. Hurricane Charley, a Category 4
storm, roared through Wauchula on the afternoon of August 13. Three
weeks later, Hurricane Frances, a Category 2 storm, slammed the
area, and three weeks after Frances, Hurricane Jeanne, a Category 3
storm, completed the destruction. "What Charley didn't destroy,
Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne did," noted Royal. "Having
well-developed emergency plans certainly saved lives, and I can't
find the words to describe the pride I feel and the debt we owe to
our utility workers and those from surrounding cities, the national
guard, the Red Cross and the many faith-based organizations who
came to our aid." While the opening of a grocery store normally
wouldn't attract much attention, the impact will be immediately
felt by the town's 4,500 residents, many of whom have shopped at
the Winn-Dixie since it first came to town more than 30 years ago.
The 48,000-square-foot rebuilt store features expanded deli and
floral departments compared to what was destroyed by the
hurricanes. New conveniences include automated self-checkout lanes,
large display cases for fresh rotisserie and fried chicken,
expanded ethnic foods section with Hispanic and kosher foods,
expanded wine section, and an expanded floral department. "We've
been counting the days until we could reopen, and we're finally
back home and back in business," said Brad Simpson, the Wauchula
store director. "Our associates have been working at other
Winn-Dixie stores throughout the district for the past five months.
It's great to be back together, and we're excited to provide an
even better store for our customers and neighbors in Hardee
County." Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., is one of the nation's largest
food retailers. Founded in 1925, the Company is headquartered in
Jacksonville, FL. For more information, please visit
http://www.winn-dixie.com/. DATASOURCE: Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc.
CONTACT: Robin Miller of Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc., +1-904-370-7715,
or +1-904-553-7704 (wireless), ; or Sue Murphy, +1-813-948-6965, or
+1-813-713-1361 (wireless), , for Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. Web site:
http://www.winn-dixie.com/
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