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Silt helps man who lost tax return

Pete Fowler
pfowler@postindependent.com
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

SILT, Colorado ” Jim Eubanks’ heart melted when he heard about Kevin Long losing more than $6,182 from a tax return.

So he decided to do something about it. Eubanks set up a Kevin and Gina Long benefit account that people can donate to at any American National Bank in the region.

Eubanks has gotten to know Long and Long’s wife, Gina, through selling hay. He considers them like family.



“These people, when God put them on earth, it broke the mold,” he said. “They’re just always volunteering to help somebody. They’re just awesome, just awesome-type people. Your heart just melts when something like this happens.”

Long cashed his tax return March 30 at the American National Bank in Rifle. He put the cash in an envelope in his shirt pocket, and discovered shortly after that the money had fallen out of his pocket, never to be his again. Long is a 45-year-old directional driller that lives in Silt. He had big plans to build a garden, make an extra house payment and spend money on his five kids.

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Eubanks said the Longs always seem to be reaching out to people, taking them to the doctor’s office, or getting them groceries. They didn’t deserve this type of misfortune that could happen to anybody, Eubanks said, especially when Long’s pay has been cut during tough economic times.

“They just always are knocking themselves out to help other people. Then who does it have to happen to? Kevin and Gina,” Eubanks said.

Eubanks opened the benefit account Thursday with $100 and hopes others will help out. American National Bank Rifle branch manager Danell Kelly said the bank is matching the $100 donation.

“I think it’s great that we have a community that is willing to do this for people,” she said.

She said the Longs are good people and it was “heartbreaking” to hear about the lost cash.

Silt resident Mark Rinehart was also inspired by Long’s story and said he would donate money. He can relate. Just last month his Honda van was stolen. He’d left the keys in the van but luckily got it back a few hours later.

“In some regards it was both of our fault,” he said. “But with a family and that much money, and that was your tax return after slaving away for a year in the oil fields ” I’d be compelled to help them out.”

Rinehart wrote a letter to the editor that appeared on Sunday saying he “nearly collapsed with empathetic pain when reading about Kevin Long’s loss.” He wrote that he would be willing to donate some money in hopes of getting hundreds of others involved to “demonstrate our collective compassion towards a family who have had misfortune visit them.”


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