Dr. Hal Crosswell (l)ophthalmologist who was scheduled to fly to Haiti the day the earthquake hit as part of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM), and Wade McQuinn, founder of an orphanage, Children Project in Haiti, take care of the paperwork for Wendell Furtick (c) to fly a plane full of supplies to Haiti. This effort is part of the UMVIM. The SC Hospital Association gave a generous amount of supplies, and many volunteers turned out to help load the plane. Photo by Jim Covington Photo by Jim Covington The overcast skies that threatened rain at any moment didn’t deter Columbia residents from turning out in huge numbers Saturday to donate clothes, non–perishable foods, medical supplies, and toiletries for victims of the Haitian Earthquake.

Pilot John Mahaffey had put out a call on several television stations and through word of mouth that he and a group of friends would be collecting goods to go to Haiti from noon until 3 pm last Saturday afternoon. While he expected a good turnout, the response was phenomenal, he said.

Ashley and Lisa Workman “We’ve only been here 45 minutes, and the truck is already packed full,” he said Friday outside the State House. “I’ve called for more trucks, and the people just keep coming with more supplies.”

And come they did. The corner of Sumter and Gervais was a parking lot with cars of families and individuals just stopping to unload pillows, blankets, and clothing for the Haitian survivors.

One donor was Ashley Workman and her mother Lisa. Ashley also included a card for whomever received their package in Haiti that said she and her family were praying for them and that it was an honor to be able to help them. The card also said she loved them.

“My mom and I have been watching what’s happening on television and we’ve just been crying all night. When we heard about this, we knew it was a way to send people things they needed. When you see all the children going without, you can’t help but cry.”

As Mahaffey and his band of helpers waited on the promised trucks to arrive, they began sorting the donations and personally thanking the people dropping them off.

“I thought people would show up,” he said. “But this is really an amazing turnout. We were going to leave at 3 pm, but we’ll stay as long as it takes.”

The donations, that stretched more than half a block and were probably six–feet wide, were slated to fly out Monday on a plane in connection with the non–profit charity, Samaritan’s Feet, Mahaffey said.

“I hope it will all fit,” he said. “But one way or another, we will get it there.”