Eachus lends a hand in tornado-ravaged Joplin

Hard work has always been the cornerstone of Nate Eachus' success.

But hard work was never so rewarding as it was for him last month in Joplin, Mo.

That's when Eachus joined two dozen Kansas City players and more than 100 Chiefs staffers for a day of construction in Joplin's tornado devastation zone.

It was an experience he will never forget.

"Three ladies stood and watched us as we rebuilt their home, and they were so happy. Seeing their faces after we finished was priceless," Eachus, a rookie free agent, said. "It was amazing."

On May 22, 2011 an F-5 tornado ripped a three-mile-wide path through Joplin, destroying more than 4,000 homes and damaging 3,000 others. It reduced the vibrant midwestern city to a pile of debris in a matter of minutes.

"Seeing pictures the day after that tornado, the entire town was blown away," Eachus said. "People had only 15 minutes to react."

Sadly, the twister claimed 161 lives and injured hundreds more in what was this country's deadliest single tornado since modern-day record keeping began in 1950.

Thirteen months later, the rebuilding process continues in Joplin. Progress is slow, but steady.

"It's still a ghost town, but a bunch of houses and buildings are being built. The community has done so much," Eachus said. "It's amazing just to see pictures then, and to see what they've done in a year."

On this day, the Chiefs organization joined with Habitat for Humanity to build five new homes for displaced residents and new homeowners.

Although Chiefs rookies had the day off, and veterans were dismissed for the offseason, many boarded three buses in Kansas City that morning to make the 100-mile drive south to Joplin and lend a hand.

Eachus worked alongside quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn, veteran teammates Brady Quinn and Luke Patterson, and fellow rookies Dontari Poe, Jeff Allen, Donald Stephenson and Alex Tanney, cutting sheets of plywood, pounding nails, lifting wall frames - whatever they could do to help the stricken community.

"We came in and built five or six houses, just to give back to the community. It means a lot, and it's putting a smile on their faces," Eachus, a former Hazleton Area High School and Colgate University standout, said. "They're strong people. They were so happy we came."

June 15 marked the second time the Chiefs have been to Joplin. Their first visit last summer was spent helping to clear debris left behind from the powerful twister.

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, who helped build one of the five new homes, said on the team's website that the organization will continue to return to Joplin and do whatever it can to help the residents put their lives back together.

"It's tremendous what has happened," stated Hunt, who said he barely recognized the city from his visit six months ago. "It's a testament to the citizens of this community and so many people who have volunteered their time and efforts to help rebuild.

"It's really come a long way fast, but clearly, there is still work to be done."

If he's still with the Chiefs, Eachus plans on returning to Joplin later this year.

"Eventually we're going back there, if I'm fortunate enough to be here in the fall," he said. "The Chiefs are going to build a playground for a school in Joplin, and I want to be a part of that."

Source: http://standardspeaker.com/sports/eachus-lends-a-hand-in-tornado-ravaged-joplin-1.1340379?localLinksEnabled=false

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