Donor Puts Hot, Thirsty Town on Ice

PIEDMONT, S.C. — An Indiana businessman’s gift of 25,000 pounds of ice arrived Thursday, making this parched South Carolina town the coolest spot in the sizzling South.

Dozens of people were waiting at the Piedmont Fire Station when a big silver and blue refrigerated truck pulled up at mid-afternoon. The crowd cheered and surged toward the truck, which bore the message: “4K Ice Co. Bound For Piedmont, S.C. We Care.”

Volunteers began handing out the 3,200 eight-pound bags of ice to the hot throng, many of whom had been waiting several hours in the 90-degree-plus heat.

“This is very exciting,” said Faye Beam, an area resident whose well went dry more than six weeks ago. She smiled as she watched five small children laugh as they wrestled with bags of ice.

“This ice will come in real handy for a lot of these folks,” said Fire Chief Doug Cowart, who added that the wells of several dozen area residents had gone dry as a result of the South’s record-breaking drought.

The ice was a gift from Kit Kowski, owner of the ice company in South Bend, Ind. He said that he had decided to send the ice to this town of 600 people, just southwest of Greenville, after seeing a photograph in the newspaper.

“It showed a group of thirsty people filling up their water jugs at the Piedmont Fire Department, and I thought how terrible it must be to be caught in a drought and not have a cold drink of water,” he said.