It was one of the first sites that motorists could see that let you know you had arrived in Lake Charles. The 22-story Capital One Tower had been a shining symbol of Southwest Louisiana. In the hours after Hurricane Laura, it became one of the iconic images of just how powerful the storm was and just how much damage Lake Charles had sustained.

According to a story from KPLC Television, a couple of friends are taking some of the bits and pieces of the broken glass from the iconic tower and repurposing them. They're taking the fragmented windows and creating customized one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry.

Rachel Sollay told the television station about the response she received on social media when she mentioned her idea for the broken glass.

So many people saying, ‘I used to work in the Capital One building’ or ‘oh my goodness, I remember that building when I was a child’, ‘my grandfather helped build the capital one tower and he’s since passed away I would love to have a piece of that’.

Sollay and friend Sarah O'Neil working with a local glass artist are turning the bits of broken glass into necklaces, rearview mirror ornaments, and key chains. The pair is selling the items online with every dollar earned going back into recovery efforts in the Lake Charles community.

The pair have a Facebook Group they've started called "Picking Up the Pieces" You can find information on the items they're offering and the story that they hope these tiny pieces of a big moment in Southwest Louisiana history will serve as a reminder of the strength and solidarity of the community.

 

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