Help Al & Liz replace car crushed by falling tree
Donation protected
Al Cook and Liz Johnson-Cook had their only car destroyed on April 30, after a sudden storm with 50+mph wind gusts blew over a huge tree in the yard of the home where they are living, with the tree landing directly on their car.
Thankfully, no one was injured in the storm, but the car was crushed beyond recovery. More than a decade old and with 200,000+ miles on the odometer, the car had been a gift from their new son-in-law, who repaid them in kind after they had given him their only car so that he, their daughter and the couple's new baby could establish their own home in West Virginia, which was a greater need at the time.
Their son-in-law is a mechanic and selected an inexpensive older car to give them that he could still make serviceable, so it held value not only as their only vehicle but the added value of having been a good bargain that had been examined and worked on by their son-in-law, nearly free of cost. Their older car was one he could keep running far more inexpensively than they could by doing the work himself, so giving it to him made sense. And with a replacement car subsequently given to them by their son-in-law, they once again had a vehicle of their own.
Due to the low value of the car, however, they concluded it wasn't worth the additional cost of getting comprehensive insurance coverage and just got liability insurance. Al is a professional musician who has lost nearly all his income during the pandemic closures, as well as having recently undergone heart surgery. With such a significant amount of their income having been lost, more insurance was an expense they couldn't afford.
Less than two months after getting the car, paying to register it and insuring it, that car has now been totally destroyed. And, to top it off, the insurance company that held the policy on the home refused to cover the loss of the car at "blue book" value or so much as $1, or even a penny to pay for the removal of the massive tree that crushed it. That means Al and Liz are without a car, without any compensation from insurance to even begin to get a replacement car, and still missing a major portion of their usual income that might have helped them buy a replacement.
So, I am now calling on their friends, the public, lovers of music, people with good hearts to help them get a replacement car. It doesn't have to be new or fancy. It just has to run reliably and safely, and have enough room in it to transport Al's instruments and equipment -- a SUV of some sort, preferably, because that's sometimes a lot of equipment. With many places starting to re-open with the reduction of pandemic restrictions, Al will soon be performing again, so having a vehicle that he can use to get himself and his gear to gigs is a necessity.
Their son, James, is also a young pro-level drummer who's looking to begin playing gigs of his own. James is autistic and his special talent for drumming means a lot to him and his family, so having a vehicle that can carry his drum kit to future gigs would be helpful. And Liz would really like to be able to go see that new grandbaby once in a while.
I'm asking that anyone who can afford $1 or $20, or whatever you can spare for these two awesome people, and their family, to help them pull together enough money to replace their car, please do so. It would be deeply appreciated by them, their family and me. Any amount will help. Thank you!
Thankfully, no one was injured in the storm, but the car was crushed beyond recovery. More than a decade old and with 200,000+ miles on the odometer, the car had been a gift from their new son-in-law, who repaid them in kind after they had given him their only car so that he, their daughter and the couple's new baby could establish their own home in West Virginia, which was a greater need at the time.
Their son-in-law is a mechanic and selected an inexpensive older car to give them that he could still make serviceable, so it held value not only as their only vehicle but the added value of having been a good bargain that had been examined and worked on by their son-in-law, nearly free of cost. Their older car was one he could keep running far more inexpensively than they could by doing the work himself, so giving it to him made sense. And with a replacement car subsequently given to them by their son-in-law, they once again had a vehicle of their own.
Due to the low value of the car, however, they concluded it wasn't worth the additional cost of getting comprehensive insurance coverage and just got liability insurance. Al is a professional musician who has lost nearly all his income during the pandemic closures, as well as having recently undergone heart surgery. With such a significant amount of their income having been lost, more insurance was an expense they couldn't afford.
Less than two months after getting the car, paying to register it and insuring it, that car has now been totally destroyed. And, to top it off, the insurance company that held the policy on the home refused to cover the loss of the car at "blue book" value or so much as $1, or even a penny to pay for the removal of the massive tree that crushed it. That means Al and Liz are without a car, without any compensation from insurance to even begin to get a replacement car, and still missing a major portion of their usual income that might have helped them buy a replacement.
So, I am now calling on their friends, the public, lovers of music, people with good hearts to help them get a replacement car. It doesn't have to be new or fancy. It just has to run reliably and safely, and have enough room in it to transport Al's instruments and equipment -- a SUV of some sort, preferably, because that's sometimes a lot of equipment. With many places starting to re-open with the reduction of pandemic restrictions, Al will soon be performing again, so having a vehicle that he can use to get himself and his gear to gigs is a necessity.
Their son, James, is also a young pro-level drummer who's looking to begin playing gigs of his own. James is autistic and his special talent for drumming means a lot to him and his family, so having a vehicle that can carry his drum kit to future gigs would be helpful. And Liz would really like to be able to go see that new grandbaby once in a while.
I'm asking that anyone who can afford $1 or $20, or whatever you can spare for these two awesome people, and their family, to help them pull together enough money to replace their car, please do so. It would be deeply appreciated by them, their family and me. Any amount will help. Thank you!
Organizer and beneficiary
M. Patricia Titus
Organizer
Frankford, DE
Liz Johnson-Cook
Beneficiary
