Topic: Cub Fans Eligible for Disaster Relief
CUBS FANS ELIGIBLE FOR DISASTER RELIEF
CHICAGO (CAP) - Chicago Cubs fans are eligible to register for federal and state aid after their team was officially declared a disaster by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Major League Baseball yesterday.
The relief package, passed by the Senate earlier this week, will help fund recovery efforts in Illinois and other Midwestern states affected by the L.A. Dodgers' three-game sweep of the Cubs in the National League Divisional Series.
Fans of the team who actually thought the Cubs had a shot at reaching the World Series are eligible to receive funds, which they can use to help them get back the six months they just wasted watching 162 regular season games.
Local officials are still waiting to hear whether FEMA will continue to pay for debris removal, an ongoing task that will cost millions. Tattered foam fingers, partially digested kielbasa, and charred team paraphernalia can be found all over the area.
The federal government initially agreed to reimburse the cities in the area for 100% of the cost - for 14 days of removal work.
Outscored 20-6 in the series, many Cubs fans displaced themselves from their homes in disgust after watching the team top its ineffective pitching with horrible defense.
Some residents returned to their homes yesterday afternoon for the first time and have begun the excruciating cleanup process - picking up shattered flat-screen TVs, looking for frightened pets, and repairing torn furniture.
"I've never seen anything like that," explained Chicago resident and Cubs fan, Edith Rolen. "I didn't leave my home, but I wish I had. The things I saw up until the last out of game three were horrible. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
