BY ARIEL LUMBARD

Local businesses and organizations are giving Lake Travis residents plenty of options to help out with Hurricane Ike relief efforts.
Lakeway Spine Center in the Chase Bank Center on Ranch Road 620 is holding a food and supply drive now through Sept. 30.
“We are open to anything, anything people want to donate,” Owner Aaron Williams said.
Both Williams and his wife, co-owner Andrea Luise-Williams, went to chiropractic school in the Galveston area and felt a personal connection to the relief effort.
“We had some of our family there and we had some friends that were directly affected by it,” Williams said.
Lakeway’s 620 Dance Studio also got involved because two of its teachers were personally connected to the affected areas.
“Both of their families have been impacted by the storm,” Owner Dana Nunn said.
The studio’s Encore competitive dance team raised $200 at a bake sale last weekend, and will have dancers from the affected area come in for a short getaway soon.
“They will come in October and spend an entire weekend with us dancing,” Nunn said.
All of the studio’s families have been asked to bring donations and anyone in the community can participate as well.
“They could call the studio office to find out how they could help,” Nunn said.
The centre’s phone number is (512) 266-8888.
The Gene Arant Team of Keller Williams Lake Travis decided to gather food and supplies for displaced Hurricane Ike survivors last Saturday, and has established a new relief organization – GivBac.
GivBac set a goal of raising 1,000 pounds of food and supplies, and passed out flyers and bags for donations in Steiner Ranch neighborhoods.
“To our surprise, the people in the community stepped up and helped us surpass our goal of 1,000 pounds of food to raise 5,225 pounds of food and supplies,” Lezley Hemming, director of operations at Gene Arant said.
GivBac will continue its relief efforts in the community, and anyone interested in participating is urged to contact the group at giveback@genearant.com.
Shoppers at the two largest grocery stores in the area have the option to add donation funds to their total bills.
The Bee Cave H-E-B began helping to raise funds for Hurricane Ike relief Tuesday, Sept. 16 as part of the chain’s statewide relief campaign.
Customers can use tear pad coupons at the checkout stands to donate $1, $3 or $5. The amount added to their bill will go straight to disaster relief agencies.
H-E-B had received numerous inquiries from customers about helping those affected by Ike, according to Winell Herron, group vice president of public affairs and diversity for H-E-B.
“H-E-B’s tear pad campaign offers a convenient and efficient way for our customers to make a difference in the lives of thousands of families in need,” he said.
Customers at the Lakeway Randalls store will be able to donate funds in increments of $1, $3, $5 and $10.
“We always say every dollar counts, and it does,” Dawne Proffit, of Randalls’ public affairs team, said.
Funds raised through the chain’s “Neighbors in Need” campaign will go to the American Red Cross Hurricane 2008 Disaster Relief Fund.
“It’s just wonderful to see everybody joining forces to help their neighbors in need,” Proffit said.
Two of the largest bank chains in the Lake Travis area are offering customers the chance to donate funds at their local branches.
Lake Travis residents can make donations for animals affected by Ike at the Bee Cave Washington Mutual branch.
Donations can be sent to accounts 0421-0000034965-4 and
0940-0000132665-1.
“You can go to any Washington Mutual and just reference the account numbers and you can make the donation that way,” Missy Latham, vice president of Washington Mutual public relations said.
Donations will go to Rescue Bank, a group that raises funds for local animal rescue groups.
Besides $250,000 in corporate donations, Wells Fargo is offering a new option at its ATMs for customers to donate to the Red Cross.
The bank has two ATM locations in Lakeway and one in Bee Cave.
“Like so many others, we are reaching out to help our Texas neighbors, friends, families and customers who have been affected by the recent hurricane,” said Chip Carlisle, Wells Fargo regional president for Texas.
Several of the area’s churches are also accepting donations for Hurricane Ike survivors.
St. Lukes on the Lake Episcopal Church is putting out resource and referral information for evacuees in its Sunday bulletins.
The church is also asking for everything from food to diapers, and water to cash to be donated towards the relief effort.
“It’s just become part of our mission when that [hurricane disaster] happens to become directly involved,” Mary Miner, the church’s secretary said.
St. Lukes has a parishioner who is heavily involved in relief efforts for Hurricane Ike.
“We’re gathering supplies generally for him to go out and do that,” Miner said.
The Lakeway Church collected a special offering Sunday and will continue to collect offerings this Sunday for hurricane survivors.
“We’ve all seen the devastation – there’s a lot to be done,” Nancy Keetch, church publicist said.
Donations can be mailed to the church at 2203 Lakeway Blvd., Lakeway, TX 78734. Checks should indicate they are for hurricane relief on the memo line.
“Donations will be bundled with others from our church and used to support Salvation Army and other hurricane relief efforts,” Keetch said.
Lake Travis United Methodist came up with a unique concept to help hurricane survivors – flood buckets.
“They’re a five gallon bucket that has cleaning supplies,” Holly Ludlum of the church’s mission committee said.
The buckets will include items such as gloves, dust masks, insect repellent, towels and cleaning products.
“We’ve put together 26 and our disaster response coordinator is taking an early response team down to the Houston, Galveston area this week,” Ludlum said.
The Lake Travis Independent School is helping out as well.
The district has enrolled 13 student-evacuees at its campuses so far and administrators participated in shelter operations at Hill Country Middle School and Westlake High School.
Lakeway Elementary gathered donations that were delivered to the Austin Humane Society last Friday for pets affected by the hurricane.
The district continues its efforts to help those affected by the hurricane, and is asking for donations to be left at Lake Travis Elementary School this week.
Requested items include canned meats with pop-top lids, diapers for adults and infants, granola bars, peanut butter, shampoo, toothbrushes, soap and feminine hygiene products.
Due to the attention being given to the hurricane relief effort, a few organizations have also renewed requests for people to donate to the Lake Travis Crisis Ministry.
“With the drain on the Capital Area Food Bank because of Hurricane Ike demands, the Crisis Ministry is short of food and toiletries,” Nancy Keetch, of Lakeway Church said.