Yet, as images of the destruction from the EF4 tornado that ripped through Mayfield, Kentucky surfaced, Fulton County, New York Sheriff Richard Giardano knew he wanted to do something to help a community 1,000 miles away that he had never seen or even heard of, but yet the bond of a name pulled at him. Giardano already felt a kinship to the name Mayfield as he began his career and bought his first house in that small New York town named Mayfield. Population: 6,495 in the 2010 Census. There’s also a village named Mayfield with a population of 832. Mayfield, New York and Mayfield, Kentucky share some similarities. Both are small, picturesque towns. The New York version of Mayfield is located in Fulton County. The Kentucky version of Mayfield is in Graves County, which is located next to Fulton County. And if this isn’t weird enough already, Giardano’s phone number prefix is 527, the same as the prefix for Benton in Marshall County, a county away from Mayfield and another county that found itself in the path of the beast. His Fulton County, New York sherriff ’s jacket is navy and gold, the same colors as Murray State University. On the morning of December 13, Giardano came up with the idea of a Mayfield to Mayfield fund drive, and he rallied support through the local sheriff ’s association, a nonprofit that raises money for items that aren’t covered by the county budget. He appeared on television newscasts in New York and on radio shows with his idea. Once the stories were shared on social media, the funds began pouring in. Notes came in from California, Florida, Georgia, just to name a few. One lady sent in a check for $5, and another man sent in $5,000. The lady who sent in the $5 check wrote that she hoped he would accept such a small donation, yet it was a large one for her. “So, the problem is that I can’t respond to all of them,” he said. “We got hundreds and hundreds of checks.” The drive netted $87,000, and Giardano said he wants to thank every donor. “And I get a little choked up because it’s neat,” Giardano said, noting that many of the notes mentioned personal connections to either Mayfield. “And so I viewed myself as a messenger to get the money and send it.” Yet, he didn’t stick a check that large in the mail. When he realized that he had a road trip planned for a conference in Las Vegas that would take him near Mayfield, Kentucky, he decided he needed to see the Kentucky town. But most importantly, he wanted to put the check directly into the hands of those who would make sure people received help. Mayfield, Kentucky Mayor Kathy O’Nan answered a phone call in her home office from a reporter in New York who asked if she knew there was a Mayfield, New York. She replied that she didn’t, and the reporter filled her in about a fund drive dubbed Mayfield to Mayfield that was spearheaded by Giardano. “I was overwhelmed,” O’Nan recalled. Donations had poured in throughout the aftermath, with some checks as small as $23 and others with requests to “buy those boys (police officers) some ice cream”. And here was a donation of $87,000 from a town that shared a name with her town, and a sheriff with a larger-than-life personality. The money has been placed with the Mayfield-Graves County Tornado Relief Fund at Independence Bank. The fund is used to provide immediate relief and to help people whose homes and cars were destroyed or damaged. Giardano said he was struck by the positivity of O’Nan and other city leaders during their meeting. Although lots have been cleared, debris remains throughout the town. “They told me that the farmers were there after the storm clearing things with their heavy equipment,” he said. “And we have Ind dependence nd pen ce e Bank Grave Coun n G av v s Count nt P esi n y Pres s den nt Darviarv n farmers and loggers here. And it’s much the same. We had a building collapse and our construction guys came in with their big equipment. It’s nice to see where the help comes 24 APRIL 2022 | PROMOTING EVENTS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE | INTHEVUE.COM
