Larry Matson's House Flooded
Donation protected
I’m sure you have read in the news about the 1000 year flood event that occurred in the Baton Rouge area in August. Over 30 inches of rain fell in two days flooding vast areas of southern Louisiana and leaving thousands of people homeless.
One of our beloved members of the Banks High family, Larry Matson - class of ’62, Banks “hall of famer”, Auburn baseball player, and former radio “voice” of the New Orleans Saints - was one of the flood’s victims.
At 1:30 AM on August 14, 2016, without notice, floodwaters buried Larry’s neighborhood and his home in 5 feet of water. Larry, having only minutes to evacuate, was only able to save two changes of clothing, his dog and his car.
Fortunately Larry was renting the house, so his financial losses were limited to his personal possessions (clothing, furniture, furnishings, appliances, computers, TVs, etc.). Irreplaceable, however, was his memorabilia, keepsakes and photos - most lost forever.
Compounding Larry’s distress is the knowledge that his son, Daniel and his new bride of two months, Tabitha, also had their apartment flooded yielding similar losses but also both of their automobiles.
Larry is currently living in a spare bedroom in one of Dan’s friend’s house, while he attempts to sort out his next move. Dan and Tabitha are living with Dan’s mom (Larry’s ex-wife).
Only people who have personal experience surviving a natural disaster can fully know the heartbreak and struggle people go through. FEMA help and insurance proceeds don’t come close to compensating for the financial losses included. But the daily stress, uncertainty and loss of their personal and family history is “hell on earth” for the victims.
When I first spoke with Larry he told me that he felt very alone. Larry doesn’t have a traditional family to help him. When I suggested the fund raising idea, Larry was initially embarrassed; but I explained to him that everyone involved in a natural disaster needs support. I told him that those of us fortunate enough not to have been a casualty of this event want to help those in need. I convinced Larry to allow me to sponsor this fundraiser.
Larry wants me to convey how very thankful he is to know that his Banks and Auburn “families” still remember and care about him. He loves his high school and college memories and many of his closest friends are former classmates.
Please do what you can for Larry and his family – financially and spiritually.
All donations will be accessible only by Larry from his personal bank account. Larry will use any funds received to purchase only items related to his and his family's flood loses.
If you wish to communicate directly with Larry, you can reach him at [email redacted].
For those of you who wish to learn more about the flood, below are two links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3FqAJUs1s8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Louisiana_floods
Disclosures:
About 8 percent of donation amounts go to fund the website, GoFundMe, and bank processing. Donations are likely not tax deductible since they are being paid to an individual. You will need to consult your financial adviser for clarification.
The sponsor of this website is Roy Krag, a Banks High School and Auburn classmate and fraternity brother of Larry's and longtime close friend. I live with my family in Hattiesburg, MS and have initiated this fundraising activity with the sole purpose of helping Larry and his family recover from their personal losses due to the flood and I certify that I will not in any way financially benefit from any funds raised.
One of our beloved members of the Banks High family, Larry Matson - class of ’62, Banks “hall of famer”, Auburn baseball player, and former radio “voice” of the New Orleans Saints - was one of the flood’s victims.
At 1:30 AM on August 14, 2016, without notice, floodwaters buried Larry’s neighborhood and his home in 5 feet of water. Larry, having only minutes to evacuate, was only able to save two changes of clothing, his dog and his car.
Fortunately Larry was renting the house, so his financial losses were limited to his personal possessions (clothing, furniture, furnishings, appliances, computers, TVs, etc.). Irreplaceable, however, was his memorabilia, keepsakes and photos - most lost forever.
Compounding Larry’s distress is the knowledge that his son, Daniel and his new bride of two months, Tabitha, also had their apartment flooded yielding similar losses but also both of their automobiles.
Larry is currently living in a spare bedroom in one of Dan’s friend’s house, while he attempts to sort out his next move. Dan and Tabitha are living with Dan’s mom (Larry’s ex-wife).
Only people who have personal experience surviving a natural disaster can fully know the heartbreak and struggle people go through. FEMA help and insurance proceeds don’t come close to compensating for the financial losses included. But the daily stress, uncertainty and loss of their personal and family history is “hell on earth” for the victims.
When I first spoke with Larry he told me that he felt very alone. Larry doesn’t have a traditional family to help him. When I suggested the fund raising idea, Larry was initially embarrassed; but I explained to him that everyone involved in a natural disaster needs support. I told him that those of us fortunate enough not to have been a casualty of this event want to help those in need. I convinced Larry to allow me to sponsor this fundraiser.
Larry wants me to convey how very thankful he is to know that his Banks and Auburn “families” still remember and care about him. He loves his high school and college memories and many of his closest friends are former classmates.
Please do what you can for Larry and his family – financially and spiritually.
All donations will be accessible only by Larry from his personal bank account. Larry will use any funds received to purchase only items related to his and his family's flood loses.
If you wish to communicate directly with Larry, you can reach him at [email redacted].
For those of you who wish to learn more about the flood, below are two links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3FqAJUs1s8
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Louisiana_floods
Disclosures:
About 8 percent of donation amounts go to fund the website, GoFundMe, and bank processing. Donations are likely not tax deductible since they are being paid to an individual. You will need to consult your financial adviser for clarification.
The sponsor of this website is Roy Krag, a Banks High School and Auburn classmate and fraternity brother of Larry's and longtime close friend. I live with my family in Hattiesburg, MS and have initiated this fundraising activity with the sole purpose of helping Larry and his family recover from their personal losses due to the flood and I certify that I will not in any way financially benefit from any funds raised.
Organizer and beneficiary
Roy Krag
Organizer
Hattiesburg, MS
Larry Matson
Beneficiary