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Donations head south to tornado victims
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Paul Gray, Warren, loads donations for tornado victims in Illinois into his pickup truck Wednesday afternoon, with help from Cathy Maurer, right. His 14-foot trailer was already packed floor-to-ceiling with donations. (Times photo: Katjusa Cisar)
MONROE - Donations are still being accepted for victims of the tornados that ripped through central Illinois over the weekend and displaced hundreds of families.

A load of donations from Monroe was already on its way down Wednesday, Nov. 20, with the help of Paul Gray, a business owner from Warren who recently joined the Monroe Chamber of Commerce.

He'll be driving another load down next week.

No more clothes are needed, said Cathy Maurer, Monroe Chamber director of membership and communications.

Food, water, toiletries and pet items such as dog food and cat litter are still needed. Donations can be dropped off at the Monroe Chamber, 1505 9th St., until 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25.

In less than 24 hours, the Monroe Chamber collected enough donations to pack Gray's 14-foot-trailer from floor to ceiling Wednesday.

Gray, owner of Gray Unlimited Cleaning and Restoration, Inc., volunteered to drive the donations three hours south to Washington, Ill., where tornados ripped through the area, killing several people and injuring dozens.