Darrington residents raise money for loggers

DARRINGTON, Wash. — They've been in waist-deep mud, clearing the way for search and rescue crews to get into the Oso slide zone.

Now Darrington-area loggers are the ones in need of help.

Some of their work gear will need to be tossed out after helping at the slide zone.

It's a mountain of a job - even for experienced loggers.

Around 75 have taken time off work - brought in their own equipment and gear to help clear the way.

“It touches all of our hearts in the community that our guys are out there doing what they're doing on their own time,” said Francine Burckhardt, who is a branch manager at Coastal Community Bank.

Burckhardt wears her pride for her town and its loggers on her shirt.

She fears the loggers will soon face a problem.

"They have special cork boots that are extra tough rubber boots that can cost anywhere up to $500 a pair," she said. “They cannot continue to keep them and wear them because of all of things that they're coming into contact and doing."

“Get 'er done” has been splashed all over town; a mantra loggers have been using to focus on the job, and not the gruesome discoveries made nearly every day.

Now Burckhardt is using that same mantra to help them.

"We're going to get this done," she said.

So she's raising money to replace the expensive boots give the loggers one less thing to worry about as they come to grips with the devastation.

If you would like to donate, you can send a check into the Coastal Community Bank for the Oso mudslide victims. In the memo of your check either write "boots" or "get 'er done."

KIRO