Locals rally to provide earthquake relief

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Latin American nation of Ecuador in the early evening hours of April 16, 2016. Between the initial quake and the frequent aftershocks, the area around the city of Portoviejo was almost completely destroyed, leaving nearly 700 dead and more than 16,000 injured in its wake.

Among those impacted by the destruction in Portoviejo was a young man with ties to Lincoln County, former Libby High School student Walter Briones. Briones came to Libby in the fall of 2014 as an exchange student through a program sponsored by Rotary International. He spent the 2014-2015 school year living with Zach and Tracy McNew, and their young daughter Riley.

“Walter rocks,” Tracy McNew said. “We love him and think of him as family. I think that he will always be a part of our family because he just fit right in, both in our home and in the community. Before he arrived, we had no idea what to expect hosting a youth exchange student but it turned out better than we could have hoped. Walter was so much fun to teach and to learn from, he introduced us to new hobbies and new people in our own community, and he made a positive impact everywhere he went. Although he has plenty of confidence, he also has so much consideration for others.”

Briones and his family live in Portoviejo and their home, as with thousands of others, was destroyed by the quake.

“My whole town is destroyed, devastated,” Briones said. “We’re still having aftershocks all of the time. This is worse than it looks on television. I never thought this would happen to me, but now it has and it’s worse than people think.”

The McNews have been in contact with Briones since the tragic event and decided to get involved. They went to the leadership of the local Rotary club and worked to create a fund to help the people of Portoviejo through this crisis.

“We’re establishing a temporary holding fund through our district foundation to accept donations for earthquake relief in Ecuador,” Tracy McNew said. “If you want to help these people, this is the very best way to do so because all of the money received will be given directly to the Portoviejo/San Gregorio Rotary Club in the area most impacted by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and the ongoing aftershocks.”

The fund is being called “Walter’s Fund,” in honor of Briones.

“We’re calling it ‘Walter’s Fund’ because last year the Rotary Club of the Kootenai Valley hosted a Youth Exchange student from Ecuador, Walter Briones,” McNew said. “He lives in Portoviejo and has been sharing his experience with us via social media. This area is already poverty stricken and now they are experiencing loss of life, lack of adequate food, lack of clean water and housing and severe strains on the area’s already meager infrastructure.”

Briones said the destruction from the quake and the subsequent aftershocks has created social instability and increased crime, which has forced a curfew for the area.

“There are so many people in the streets trying to steal stuff so now you cannot be on the streets after 10 p.m. or you are going to be in jail,” he said. “It’s really bad. Before, Ecuador had a very bad economic situation, so you can imagine now we’re worse. The taxes were 12 percent before, now it’s 14 percent and it’s worse for us because all of the buildings are destroyed. It’s a very bad situation we’re living through.”

The money sent will be provided directly to the local Rotary Club, whose officers will direct the local relief efforts. In addition to immediate relief needs such as food, water and shelter, the funds will be used for larger projects such as restoring electricity and rebuilding schools.

Donations should be sent to District 5390 Foundation: Walter’s Fund, Post Office Box 555, Libby, MT  59923 or given directly to the Rotary Club of the Kootenai Valley.