A home away from home

CAMP WILLIAMS — When he stepped off the plane at the Utah Air National Guard base this weekend, Dan Corkren thought people were mocking him and his fellow passengers — another hundred or so victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Lined up on either side of the tarmac, people were waving and clapping, reaching out to shake his hand and welcome him to Utah. And through it all, Corkren thought they were just making fun of him.

"We're not used to such openness and generosity," he said, noting that he isn't used to being treated so well nor are the other evacuees he's talked to at Camp Williams, which now houses nearly 600 displaced Gulf Coast residents.

But the good will has continued, Corkren said, and he's discovered nothing but sincerity behind it.

"You know, you hear about things like this. But when you actually see it and experience it, it's amazing," he said. "It's opened everyone's hearts here, to tell you the truth."

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. experienced similar stories during his first trip to Camp Williams Tuesday morning. Twice while briefing the media on his tour, the governor was approached by evacuees who simply wanted to thank him for allowing them to stay in Utah in the aftermath of the storm.

"Y'all are winners," said one elderly woman, hugging the governor tight and heaping out praise for the state's efforts. "Y'all deserve every bit of it."

Another man, 64-year-old August Honere, said he was also thankful for the assistance. "Ain't too many people (who would) do this. To see the governor reach his hand out like this is overwhelming."

Utah was one of four states initially called upon to help shelter the displaced residents. The state immediately responded that it could accommodate up to 1,000 evacuees, a number that later doubled after the governor's office decided it could handle more. It's unclear, however, whether Utah will receive any more evacuees.

On Tuesday, Huntsman toured all the facilities at Camp Williams and said he was proud of the way things have come together.

"I am just completely in awe at the level of compassion that this state has shown," he said.

Utahns have answered the state's call for help in force, flooding a toll-free hotline with more than 7,000 calls in one week. The hotline was shut down Tuesday, after officials said they received more than enough offers for assistance.

Also, Huntsman said he believed that some $1 million in private donations for hurricane relief have come from Utahns through various fund-raising efforts.

The governor was unaware Tuesday how much money the state has spent on relief efforts so far, but said he's heard figures as high as $2 million. But with nearly every state agency involved in the relief effort, he said, "We are racking up the dollars."