Video leads to help — and potatoes — for Fort Myers woman

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FORT MYERS, Fla. A viral video helped a woman get money to fix her roof after Hurricane Irma — and a heap of the potatoes she loves.

Fort Myers resident Ethel Strauss will go on and on about how much she loves Bob Evans mashed potatoes, and that’s what she did in the video her family shot.

The video took off, drawing 3,400 views, and it caught the eye of Bob Evans executives. One of them showed up at Strauss’ home with a basket full of potatoes.

“There’s going to be a lot of struggles ahead,” said Chris Lambrix, senior vice president of retail business development for Bob Evans. “It takes quite a while, but we wanted to do a small bit to help Ethel.”

The surprise left Strauss giggling with delight.

“Oh, I didn’t know what to think,” she said. “I thought, ‘Oh no, I’m so poor, I have to ask for potatoes!'”

Strauss also felt like giving back, even amid her struggles. She gave Lambrix a coconut custard pie and plans on making pies for other Irma victims.

 

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