Ric Sanders hasn’t lived in Oak Harbor for years.

But the friendships he made and lives he touched on North Whidbey decades ago have left deep impressions.

“He’s a cool guy,” said Greg Abrahamse, one of Sanders’ classmates at Oak Harbor High School. “Ric knew everybody. He is a kind-hearted, giving guy.”

Sanders’ plea for help this week from a small Eastern Washington town impacted by wildfires has set in motion a relief effort in Oak Harbor that has grown beyond the organizers’ wildest dreams.

Friends of Sanders on North Whidbey set up a post on Highway 20 in Oak Harbor Wednesday with the aim to collect a truck or trailer load of water and other essential items to deliver to wildland firefighters and displaced fire victims in and around the town of Republic.

With little other organized aid arriving in the Ferry County town isolated by road closures, the need has turned desperate.

When Sanders, a park ranger at nearby Curlew Lake State Park, communicated this to old friends on Whidbey Island, a relief effort that started building ultimately turned into a mountain of support.

At least three trucks carrying more than 500 cases of bottled water, non-perishable food, bedding and other donated items were scheduled to leave this morning from Oak Harbor to deliver the relief.

“It’s mind-blowing,” said Karen Barrett, an Island County Transit dispatcher who helped start the effort. “I can’t wait to deliver it.

“We were hoping to fill up one pickup truck. We have all this now.”

Barrett was pointing to a scene late Thursday along the highway where she was helping load cases of water that were dropped off and stacked at a collection site. A truck donated by U-Haul already was packed full with donations, as was another trailer donated by Diamond Rentals.

The Freund family gave Greg and Ann Abrahamse permission to set up the donation center in a lot near 7-Eleven, which joined a large number of Oak Harbor businesses with donations to support the cause.

The convenience store’s corporate office approved a donation of 500 cases of water that will be waiting for pickup at a distribution center in Wenatchee. The local franchise near Burger King also is donating tankfuls of gas for the vehicles making the trip.

Other big supporters included The Home Depot, which donated a pallet of bottled water; Safeway, which donated $300; and Corey Oil & Propane, which dropped off 30 cases of Gatorade.

Community members, following the news of the devastating wildfires in Eastern Washington, also came out in force, dropping off money, cases of water, blankets, diapers and other essentials.

“You watch the news and your heart bleeds,” said Leslie Mirabal, who came by to donate.

“We’ve had people drop off food who’ve opened their trunks and started crying,” said Rhonda Severns, one of the relief effort’s organizers, along with her husband, city councilman Bob Severns.

“I heard someone say, ‘Whatever you guys are doing, you are doing the right thing.’ ”

Katrina King, who grew up in nearby Curlew and now lives in Oak Harbor, stopped by to drop off water, soap and peanut butter and asked what other items she could purchase to help.

“I know there are help centers over there,” King said, “but I can’t get over there.”

King’s father, Mike Compton, still lives in Curlew.

“There are fires every year, but this is the worst one in years,” King said. “The firefighters are all overworked.”

Dustin Amundson, a paid oncall firefighter with North Whidbey Fire and Rescue, came by and volunteered to join the Oak Harbor group and help with driving as they deliver items to Eastern Washington.

Depending on conditions and road closures, Greg Abrahamse said he wasn’t sure how close to Republic they would be able to get but were aiming for Okanogan where a transfer could take place.

Several people who remembered Sanders from his time in Oak Harbor, where he worked for the state parks, stopped by and wanted to help any way they could.

When Sanders, a Class of 1981 graduate, learned about what his old friends were doing, he became emotional when speaking to a residents and firefighters who had gathered for a meeting in Republic.

The movement got started after Sanders communicated through social media earlier this week with Mike Hammett, a longtime friend and Coupeville resident.

Then, others jumped on board the cause, wanting to help those in dire need as well as one of their own.

“We have a nice town,” Ann Abrahamse said. “We have nice people in a nice town.”