Polk man's heroic efforts to help Haiti

AUBURNDALE - As relief supplies from the United States began to filter into Port au Prince on Tuesday, Mike Wnek was already loading a flatbed to make his second drop off there.

The Polk County man was one of the first relief workers to get food and supplies into Haiti's capital city after last week's earthquake.

Wnek said in a phone interview from Haiti that as he passed the food out, he was surrounded by nine cops because the situation is so dire.

"You can't imagine the desperation," he said on Tuesday. "They will climb over each other for a candy bar, or a bottle of juice, or a bottle of water, or cookie or anything."

Wnek and two friends flew into the Dominican Republic last week. As soon as they arrived, they began to wheel and deal. Wnek hired a flatbed truck and bought enough food to fill it from the same woman. For that, he wanted a discount, and he got it.

The supplies seemed to disappear almost as soon as they were delivered. On Tuesday, he was back in the Dominican Republic re-stocking the truck. He plans to take the new load to Haiti tomorrow.

In the meantime, fellow worshippers at the First Methodist Church of Auburndale are thrilled that Wnek has pulled off such a feat.

"For one person to take this on himself, and just get right in there and do it, it's great," said Fayma Jackson, the church secretary.