National Grid has become more than a company. It's become a good neighbor and a friend.
That's what speaker after speaker said Monday on the front lawn of Middleburgh Central School as the first anniversary of Hurricane Irene approaches and rebuilding ramps up.
To date, National Grid has awarded $2 million of an available $6 million in grants and loans to businesses crippled by the August 28 storm.
National Grid has had a presence in the Schoharie Valley since Hurricane Irene left 156,000 people across the region without power, William Flaherty, director of Customer and Community Management told the crowd of about 60.
"The president of our company said 'We'll be back.' Well, we definitely came back."
Monday's event was intended both as a celebration of what's been accomplished and a reminder that National Grid still has grants available. (See related story.)
"It was a lot to take in all at once when National Grant first released that money," said Richard Ball of Schoharie Recovery Inc.
"And even today, a lot of people still don't know that the help's out there."
Leslie Price of Schoharie was one of those who received an Emergency Main Street grant for her J. Lacy Hair Salon.
It's been a long haul, she said, but she's about two weeks away from reopening.
"The damage was beyond what I could ever comprehend," she said, with the force of floodwaters spinning things inside her shop around.
"After you empty your retirement and sell your jewelry...Thank God National Grid came along."
National Grid also drew praise from State Senator Jim Seward for "acting more like a neighbor than a corporation. They threw us a lifeline when we needed it the most." Assemblyman Pete Lopez thanked them for "keeping the door open" on funding through the end of 2012.
Middleburgh Supervisor Jim Buzon spoke for many when he joked that before Irene, about the only time he thought about National Grid was when his electric bill came.
"Now, many businesses have been able to reopen because of them. They're like a large family...neighbors."
Middleburgh Mayor Matthew Avitabile echoed those thoughts
"We've come a long ways and turned the corner; we've made a lot of progress...We're coming back but there's still a lot to be done."
Other National Grid assistance has come through more than $40,000 raised for SCCAP by the sale of "Schoharie County: Stronger Than Irene," a collection of photos put together by National Grid line supervisor Jeff VanDeusen of Cobleskill and printed by the Times-Journal.
"A picture's worth a million words," said Mr. VanDeusen, who typically uses his camera to document things for work crews.
"After seeing the devastation, I knew I had to do something more [with the photos.] I hope I never see anything like this again."
The $40,000 raised by "Stronger Than Irene" is part of more than $600,000 collected by SCCAP since the flood and distributed to 1,157 local residents, businesses, and churches, said Cherie Stevens, chair of the Schoharie County Flood Relief Committee.
Some $34,818 in phone and gift cards has also been donated.
"We're not an island," Ms. Stevens said," noting that donations have come from as far away as Germany and Norway.
"We will survive."