Businesses, residents join to help the Burgesses
Mandy Catoe
mcatoe@thelancasternews.com
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| Cavalry leaders surround Burgess Family |
R.L. Parham, owner of Buford Flea and Farmer’s Market, felt compelled to help the family of Coleen Burgess, who died April 6 when a falling tree crushed her home.
Over the past few days, he has enlisted more than a dozen local businesses and scores of volunteers to help stage a community fundraiser next Saturday. The plan is sort of a combination street festival and garage sale, with all proceeds going to the family.
“I feel good about the progress and response so far,” Parham said Friday morning. “Everyone has stood at the plate and done their part and it all makes a difference, from the huge donations to the kid who drops a quarter in the donation jar.”
Parham doesn’t want any pats on the back for sparking the community response.
“All I did was kick the ball to one of my teammates,” he said.
The outpouring from the community makes one thing very clear. Everyone who knew Coleen Burgess loved her.
Cliff West, owner of Buford Little General, said the Burgess family has done business with him for years.
“When Mrs. Burgess was working at the hospital in Monroe, she would stop by every morning to get a biscuit and get gas,” West said. “She was a good woman. I never heard one bad thing about her.”
West is donating all the hot dog buns for the event.
Some who did not know her personally have joined in because they felt it was the right thing to do.
One Lancaster business owner, not wanting to be named, has paid for the crane that will remove the tree from the house.
“I’m blessed,” he said. “And I have a friend who has a crane and we are working together to remove that tree from the home Saturday. All I can say is ‘Glory be to God.’”
A small group met at the Burgess family home Thursday, exactly one week after the tragedy, in a show of support.
“It’s been chaos since last Thursday,” said Kevin Burgess, the son who lives next door with his wife, Tammy, and two sons.
“I just want it all cleaned up and try to move on with life. That’s what mom would want us to do.”
One supporter after another hugged him tightly.
He came a little undone when their next-door neighbor, Angie Lloyd, embraced him.
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| Lloyd embraces Kevin |
Lloyd, a nurse, has been helping Coleen’s husband, Jim, with his medication.
As she spoke about Coleen, her eyes filled with tears.
“She was a hard-working woman and the rock of their family,” Lloyd said. “She was a good neighbor and a very good friend.”
Jim Burgess said he feels blessed with all the help and he is “doing about as well as can be expected.”
‘Another angel’
Last Sunday, one of Coleen Burgess’ out-of-town sons, Bernie Durkee, stopped by Parham’s store for some boiled peanuts about closing time.
Durkee told Parham he had lived in Alaska for 20 years, and they don’t have boiled peanuts there. “I just flew in,” Durkee said. “That was my mom that got killed by the tree.”
Parham didn’t know how to react. He started to cry.
“All I could say is, ‘Man, I’m sorry.’”
Parham couldn’t stop thinking about the family. He had trouble sleeping.
“It was on my mind all day Sunday and Monday,” he said.
Tuesday afternoon, he drove to the Burgess home, about a mile from his store. He had a message for them.
“Don’t worry. The cavalry is on its way,” he proclaimed to Jim and Kevin Burgess.
“God put it in my heart and said, ‘R.L. I need another angel,’” Parham recalled this week, his eyes filling with tears.
He, like many others involved in the upcoming benefit, want no credit for their efforts. He said he is just following God’s instructions.
Then he added matter-of-factly, “All I did was get the ball rolling, and it has taken on a life of its own.”
He said Buford is a close community that comes together.
“It’s not just talk out here,” he said.
John Mangum of Papa’s Christmas Tree Farm in Kershaw echoed that sentiment. He is donating a huge cooker, money and his time.
“This was a very tragic thing that happened to the family,” Mangum said. “As a community, it’s our responsibility to help each other out.
“It’s a great thing that R.L. is doing,” he said.
Organizing the effort
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| R.L.Parham |
Parham has participated in many fundraising events in the past decade with his concession truck, but this is the first one he has ever planned. He started scribbling notes, names and numbers on a small piece of scrap paper Tuesday.
Holding the paper up, he said: “It all started with this, but I ran out of room.”
Wednesday morning, he walked next door to the Dollar General and bought a spiral notebook.
Parham, 59, better known as PawPaw, has lived in Charlesboro for 32 years. He drives a school bus in the Buford area.
The event will kick off bright and early Saturday morning, April 22, at 7 o’clock when the flea market opens. He is not charging a fee for the tables.
“I just ask they let their hearts be their guide and make a donation to the Burgess Family Benefit,” Parham said. “Bring your items and set up. The tables are free.”
Music will begin at 10 a.m. with the band Sapphire. DJ Roach will provide entertainment when the musicians take a break. Other bands have been invited.
Parham is encouraging people to donate old TVs, lawnmowers, furniture or anything they no longer use. These will be sold during the music intermissions. All money will go to the Burgess family.
Hot dog and barbecue plates with slaw, baked beans and potato chips will be sold for $5 and $8 respectively. All the food is donated. Every penny will go to the benefit fund.
Parham is soliciting volunteers and churches to serve the food. He and his friends are making the barbecue and grilling the hot dogs.
“We just need someone to fix the plates,” he said.
So far, he has raised more than $300 from donations. A huge white cup sits on his counter with “Burgess Family Benefit” written in black ink. A few dollars have already been dropped in.
Parham shared some details about the event. The sheriff’s department will direct traffic. The Buford Volunteer Fire Department plans to collect donations at the intersection of Rocky River Road and S.C. 9 during the day.
Billy Morris, Buford Volunteer Fire Department chief, said he and his crew will do whatever is needed the day of the event. He hopes a couple of other fire departments will join them in the effort.
“I can’t imagine how it feels to lose everything they ever owned and worked for,” Morris said, shaking his head. “And to know how their mom died and to have to look at that tree every day.”
Thursday evening, the core group of the cavalry circled around Jim Burgess, Kevin, and Kevin’s son Noah. Kevin’s wife, Tammy, could not get off work, and their son Patrick remained inside their home. The moment was too hard.
Ryan Vincent of Ryan’s Tree Service said the family contacted him for an estimate.
“When I first got the call, I gave them a quote for the insurance company,” Vincent said. “When I found out they didn’t have any, I wanted to help them anyway.”
Vincent will be clearing the yard for the crane and also taking down a huge oak tree that was next to the one that fell. Its root system was compromised when the other tree uprooted.
Buford resident Danny Flynn is bush-hogging the lot behind Parham’s business to expand the lot for the event.
Buford Sports Cafe has agreed to allow overflow parking behind the Buford Meat Center and ABC Store.
Brian Stuhltrager, Buford Dollar General manager, is donating “a lot of canned goods directly to the family.”
Buford crossroads will transform into a fundraising festival. Funnel cakes, hot boiled peanuts, and fresh-squeezed lemonade will be sold, with proceeds going to the fund.
Parham is setting up a Burgess Family Benefit account at Founders Federal Credit Union so people can easily make donations. The account will begin accepting donations Tuesday afternoon. Make check payable to Burgess Family Fund in care of R.L. Parham. He will also accept donations at his store.
He plans to have banners and flyers printed with details about the event. He encourages anyone on Facebook or other social media to spread the word.
Nearly every business in Buford has stepped up and donated to the fundraiser. Help was coming in from Pageland and Kershaw, too.
Jason Stevens of Stevens Electrical of Kershaw is supplying the power for the event.
Chuck Steele of Boggs Materials in Pageland said he will be dropping a cash donation off in the next few days.
JoJo’s Barbecue, The Shrimp Boat, Dixie Food Mart, Papa John’s Christmas Tree Farm, Hinson’s Grocery, IGA of Kershaw, Lloyd’s Mini Mart on Highway 9, Custom Carts in Pageland and Carter Quality Plumbing were all on board by press time Friday. The list continues to grow and includes many anonymous donors.
Want to help?
To donate time, money or items to the Burgess Family Benefit, call R.L. Parham at (803) 283-2090. An account has been set up at Wells Fargo to handle donations.
Follow Reporter Mandy Catoe on Twitter @MandyCatoeTLN or contact her at (803) 283-1152.
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