GARY (WBBM Newsradio) -- Thousands of people gathered at a park and community center in Gary to pick up supplies, and their spirits, nearly two weeks after a storm knocked out power to much of northwest Indiana.
Monday's relief event at Roosevelt Pavilion, 2145 Harrison St., sounded like a party, with DJs urging the crowd to do the Percolator and the Tootsie Roll.
"Gary, Indiana, we outside!" cheered the DJ as people stood in line for everything from diapers and water to food from more than a dozen trucks parked along Harrison Street. Willette Wright, 70, showed off the two rakes and other supplies she picked up from a booth set up by a local hardware store.
People line up for food at a storm relief event at Roosevelt Pavilion in Gary.
Geoff Buchholz - WBBM Newsradio
"It's been horrible. It's been horrible," she said. "We got people in senior buildings in wheelchairs with no lights .. can't get around ... we got people with children ... no lights ... don't got no food ... I have never been through nothin' like this. And we need help!"
The relief event was organized and promoted by Keith Lee, the viral food reviewer and influencer with millions of social media followers, whose videos focusing on the situation in Gary have been seen by users around the world. The effort received an assist from Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who helped contribute to make it possible.
Lee received a hero's welcome from a throng of people, many of whom yelled his catchphrases, including "I got it, let's try it, and rate it one through ten." When he arrived in the afternoon, Lee told WBBM Newsradio that the event wasn't his doing.
"If it wasn't for y'all getting the stories out on social media, this would never have been possible," he said as police officers escorted him to the DJ stand. "If it wasn't for God, this wouldn't have been possible. I'm just a conduit. God is amazing."
@keith_lee125 Keith Speaks 💕 Gary Indiana 11am - 3pm Roosevelt Pavilion Parking Lot 2201 Harrison St., Gary, IN 46407 💕 #foodcritic @Salvation Army USA ♬ original sound - Keith Lee
NIPSCO has said it expects to have all power restored in Gary by Tuesday evening. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun on Monday called for an investigation of NIPSCO's response to the August 11 storm.
