The Right Thing to Do

On Saturday, May 5, I was watching a news report about the tornado that literally wiped Greensburg, Kansas off the map.

The preliminary reports were not well detailed other than the fact that the town of some 1,600 people had been all but razed and that several people had been killed.

Unlike Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, where the news was anticipated well in advance of the destruction, preliminary reports about the Greensburg disaster were as cloudy as the aftermath of the F-5 tornado itself.

As reports rolled in, however, I was astonished to learn of so few deaths. To put it into perspective, imagine the largest tornado in American history wiping everything out in its path from, say, Union Station to the Plaza.

The day after Katrina reached landfall in 2005 I received notice from a friend John Meara at Meara,

King & Company. Meara and his associates structured a plan so donors could easily make contributions to American Red Cross, who were set back very nearly as much as the Gulf region itself.

I called Meara immediately and Ingram’s offered its help in promoting what would become a $100,000 capital campaign. After the Greensburg disaster, we at Ingram’s communicated with Meara and his partners Julie Welchand Steve Browne once again, this time to initiate the “KC Greensburg Relief Effort.” Each of our firms again pledged to donate $10,000, and the campaign was launched.

As of this writing, I’m aware of pledges nearing $50,000 and a number of in-kind donations in the works from several of our friends and patrons. With a tragedy of this magnitude and one within our own region, we hope that the Kansas City area business community responds swiftly and generously. 

I’ve been to the well (literally)

My first job out of college included a fair share of driving around the region, including a quarterly pilgrimage to Dodge City and southwestern Kansas. In the fall of 1981,

I stopped in Greensburg to see the worlds largest hand-dug well.

In the weeks after the Greensburg tornado, I’ve learned of a number of Greensburg ties to the Kansas City area including that of the Caplinger family. I had an opportunity to talk with Jim Caplinger, attorney and former state official, and Bob Caplinger, also an attorney and an author of a book called simply, Marshall and Anna Caplinger of Greensburg, Kansas.

Jim and Bob Caplinger and their two brothers were raised in Greens-burg by their grandparents, Anna and J.M Caplinger who operated the local mercantile/hardware store. Their story is a testament to the spirit and work ethic of the Greensburg community and deserves much more attention than this space allows.

Upon the death of their grandfather, the Caplinger family donated the hardware store to the Historical Kiowa County Museum, (before and present photos are shown to the left). Since the Greensburg tornado, this structure and substantially every other home and building in the town—save for the courthouse and the grain elevator—has been destroyed. After hearing several of the Greensburg stories, including that of the Caplingers, I encouraged the brothers to archive the history of the town to preserve the legacy of what may be the most spirited and strong-willed community in Kansas.

I’m convinced that Greensburg, Kansas will be rebuilt, and we at Ingram’s Magazine along with our friends at Meara King, & Co. and the American Red Cross are doing what we can to support the cause. To contribute to the “KC Greensburg Relief Effort” or for more information, please see the article and ad on pages 28 and 29 of this issue or give us a call.

Thank you in advance for considering to help this important cause.

Our Best!

Joe Sweeney

Editor-In-Chief & Publisher

JSweeney@IngramsOnLine.com