Barack pitches in to help flood relief and prevention effort

AP reports:

QUINCY, Ill. (AP) - Senator Barack Obama plans on touring the Illinois community of Quincy to see flooded areas along the Mississippi River for himself.

The Democratic presidential candidate is scheduled to visit the area Saturday afternoon to tour the region and help fill sandbags.

Quincy's 1 of several communities that have been threatened by the rising river waters. Volunteers have been feverishly stacking sandbags around several businesses and the water treatment facility.

The campaign itself is urging supporters to help the American Red Cross relief efforts. (More on the floods here.)

Update: Here's a great post over at TPM by an Obama supporter who received an appeal for help by email from the campaign.