Residents plan fundraiser for County road repair

BLOOMFIELD - After devastation hit the region this Spring, residents of Knox and Boyd County are taking recovery efforts into their own hands, holding a Nebraska Strong fundraiser to raise money for local road repair. The event is being held Sunday (July 7th) at the Knox County Fairgrounds. It will be complete with music, dancing, silent and live auctions, and tons of food — all of which has been donated. The residents putting on the event say every penny raised will go directly to areas in need.

Event organizer Laurie Larsen says, “In Knox County they have 8 bridges out, about 1,400 miles that need gravel, and 150 miles of asphalt that needs to be repaired.”

Many people in neighboring Boyd County have been hit even harder by road closures.

Larsen explains, “A lot of those people are still driving hundreds of miles out of their way to get to work. Some of them quit their jobs because it was too hard on their vehicles… it’s been a very difficult situation for them.”

The group knows community donations won’t cover the total costs of County road repair, which are estimated to be over $7 million between the two counties, they just hope to cover a small share.

Larsen says, “If we would come up with 12.5% of that, the state would match the 12.5%, and then FEMA, with the proper paperwork, would take care of the rest.”

The fundraiser Sunday hopes to raise some of the $250,000 needed for Knox County, and the roughly $625,000 needed for Boyd County, while also serving as a party and celebration to reward a community of people that has been working together to get through tough times.

Larsen proudly says, “Everybody has stepped up… it’s just incredible.”