Lawrence fan drive raises 105 box fans for families in need
Lawrence shoppers turned $1,660 in round-up donations into 105 box fans as Douglas County entered an extreme heat warning. The fans are headed straight to local families in need.
Westlake Ace Hardware employees loaded 105 box fans into a van Tuesday afternoon after a Lawrence fan drive turned $1,660 in customer round-up donations into cooling help for families in need. Westlake and The Salvation Army of Douglas County said the money collected at the stores at 601 Kasold Drive and 711 W. 23rd St. will go directly to local households trying to get through the summer heat.
The local total marked a sharp increase from last year, when the same Lawrence campaign produced 73 fans. Emma Perez, the Salvation Army’s director of community engagement, said the organization had already been hearing from residents asking when the fans would be available, a sign of how quickly demand rises when temperatures climb.
That demand landed during a dangerous stretch of weather. Douglas County was under an extreme heat warning, with the National Weather Service warning of dangerously hot and humid conditions and heat index values reaching 105 to 110 degrees. The warning for the Topeka forecast area remained in effect until 8 p.m. CDT Saturday, July 5, and NOAA’s HeatRisk guidance was flagging a multi-day heat threat around July 1 through July 3.
The need is not cosmetic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says extreme summer heat is increasing in the United States and is one of the leading weather-related causes of death, with risks that include heat stroke, cardiovascular stress, respiratory problems and cerebrovascular illness. Kansas public-health guidance identifies young children and infants, older adults, pregnant women, people with special needs and outdoor workers as especially vulnerable, which is why a box fan can matter for a household without reliable air conditioning.
Westlake Ace Hardware said its Fan Drive has raised more than $1 million and distributed more than 70,000 box fans since 2012. The company said the 2026 campaign ran from May 18 through June 6, and it also said its 2024 effort raised $100,000 and delivered more than 6,000 fans nationwide. In Lawrence, the annual drive has become a repeat answer to a recurring summer problem: how to keep vulnerable neighbors cool when utility costs, housing conditions and extreme heat leave too many homes with little margin.
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