Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools called on the community to help students affected by Hurricane Helene, and the community emphatically delivered.
Following the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina over the weekend, Superintendent Tricia McManus reached out to Leslie Alexander, a former Reynolds High School principal and the current superintendent of Watauga County Schools. Alexander explained that students in her district were in great need following the floods, particularly for fresh drinking water.
In response, WS/FCS rapidly assembled a bottled water drive at the central office and requested that district staff, students, families, and community members bring whatever they could to help support multiple districts in Western North Carolina.
“Watauga and Buncombe County and other schools throughout the region face a long recovery,” McManus said in an alert for the collection drive. “Let’s show them they are not alone.”
They certainly aren’t alone. With hardly a day’s notice, Winston-Salem and Forsyth County turned out in full force to support the collection effort. By the end of the day on Tuesday, donors had brought in over 4,000 cases of bottled water.
The day-long event was meant to fill two school buses with water to deliver to schools in need, but organizers ended up needing to call in an extra bus, a box truck, and even an 18-wheeler donated by Big Will's Truck Shop, and there still wasn’t enough room for all the donations. The Forsyth County Educators Association and businesses like Food Lion, Lowe’s, Hodges Roofing, and Guardian Fueling Technologies all made big contributions, as did one anonymous couple who brought a full pallet of water.
By the time the drive was half-over, enough water had been collected that donors were saying they would have brought more to give if nearby stores hadn’t been running out of inventory.
“It’s been overwhelming,” said Pilar Flynn, a volunteer at the drive. “Some stores are running out of water and people are still bringing more. That’s pretty amazing.”
The community spirit on display on Tuesday was a welcome dose of hope following days of tragic news out of the mountains. Donors remarked on their fondness for Western North Carolina and the people who call it home, and when they learned of an opportunity to ease the burden on children and families in those areas, they didn’t hesitate to help.
“We love going up to Boone on the weekends,” said Denise Joyce, a tutor at Walkertown Elementary School and a donor at the drive. “They’re our neighbors up there, and we have to take care of our neighbors.”
WS/FCS Executive Director of Community Engagement Terry Matthews says that she sees firsthand everyday how strong the giving spirit is in the district, but even she underestimated how enthusiastic the response would be. She’s thankful to everyone who turned out to support the cause – their generosity is one of many reasons why WS/FCS is a great place to learn and grow.
“Every student everywhere deserves fresh drinking water, food, and the resources they need to succeed,” Matthews said. “It is amazing to live in a community that answers a call to action like this.”
For further opportunities to donate to Hurricane Helene relief, a list of resources is available at https://www.wxii12.com/article/helene-volunteering-donating-flooding/62449195.