NEW YORK - Florida delegates shared stories of Hurricane Charley and kept a wary eye on Hurricane Frances as they gathered this week for the Republican National Convention.
Gov. Jeb Bush stayed home to oversee recovery efforts in southwest Florida while Lt. Gov. Toni Jennings led the delegation and hauled in corporate contributions totaling more than $800,000 for the Hurricane Charley Relief Fund.
"We're here for a convention, but let's never forget our friends at home who have no roof and no jobs," Jennings told Florida delegates.
On a day when convention delegates were emphasizing compassion, Jennings accepted a $100,000 check from Altria (parent company of Philip Morris and reported other donations of $500,000 from Chubb Corp.; $50,000 donations from BellSouth, the Southern Co. and Wal-Mart; and $25,000 donations from Florida Coca-Cola and Delaware North Cos.
In addition, Viacom is devoting 36 billboards and 300 bus signs to help spread the word about the state's campaign to raise money for victims of Charley.
Some delegates left hurricane-damaged houses and swapped tales of surviving the big storm that slammed into southwest Florida on Aug.13.
Matt James, a 20-year-old University of Florida student from Punta Gorda, is working as a volunteer at the convention after spending a summer interning with the state GOP.
"All of our oaks were down, there was a tree through the window and the pool cage was destroyed," James said, describing the damage to his parents' house.
James, his sister and parents rode out the storm in his sister's closet.
Rep. Lindsay Harrington, R-Punta Gorda, a delegate to the convention, canceled his plans after the storm hit his hometown.
"People were just getting here when they heard there is another storm out there that could hit Florida," noted Jennings, chairwoman of the Florida delegation.
Hurricane Charley's aftermath and Tuesday's primary elections caused some Republicans to cancel plans for the trip or shorten their stay in New York. Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher came for the first two days of the convention, but he is returning to Florida today for a meeting with insurance adjusters working in storm-damaged areas.
Attorney General Charlie Crist delayed his trip to handle hurricane-related price gouging cases, but he plans to be in New York by Thursday to host a luncheon for all the delegates.
Incoming Senate President Tom Lee, R-Brandon, and other lawmakers have been arriving all week. House Speaker designate Allan Bense, R-Panama City, postponed his trip until after Tuesday night's election results are final.
[Last modified September 1, 2004, 00:10:25]