North Carolina
Effingham local plans fundraiser for Helene victims in North Carolina
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – It’s been just over a month since states across the southeast were hit by hurricane Helene, including Georgia. One of the hardest hits states, however, was North Carolina.
A woman from Effingham has been doing her best to help those in need by gathering supplies and taking them to storm torn areas.
WTOC spoke with the Georgia local to learn more about the work she’s been doing.
Our team originally spoke with Angela Miller before she made her first trip up to North Carolina after the hurricane. Since then, her and her family have made two trips to cities like Swanannoa. Their third trip is already planned for next weekend.
Miller immediately began collecting donations for storm victims, and she took a huge load to North Carolina the first weekend after Helene passed through.
Miller says during both trips she‘s made so far, the communities’ perseverance was inspiring.
“You know, you just don’t understand how these people just can smile and give you a hug and then turn around and walk into their house and there’s no electricity. They have no food. You know, they can’t get out of their house because they can’t go further if they don’t have somebody to help them,” said Miller. “The pictures just don’t do it justice. I mean it just like you know, oh well that’s kind of what happened. No, it’s split houses in half.”
The group of volunteers that Miller was with passed out over 500 meals to those still in the area.
To help gather more supplies for storm victims, they’re throwing a fundraiser at a local restaurant in Savannah.
A friend of Miller’s who works at Midtown Bar and Grill on Habersham reached out wanting to help the people in North Carolina.
The restaurant will be open and accepting donations today beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Miller has lists of what items people can bring on Facebook, including gift cards to Lowes or Home Depot for material supplies to help rebuild in areas that were completely destroyed.
Miller says the outpouring of support from her own Georgia community has been a blessing.
“You know we had our own devastation in Georgia, and I have been very, very blessed and very just overwhelmed with the amount of help that people, I mean, I have had donation, donation…The community is good,” said Miller.
All the donations collected during the fundraiser will be loaded up and taken with Miller on her next trip to Swanannoa.
Amy Moore, who owns Simply Southern in Springfield, will also be making the trip with Miller to pass out meals to those in need.
If you’re not able to make it out to Midtown Bar and Grill but would still like to make a donation, Miller says you can reach out to her anytime.
Copyright 2024 WTOC. All rights reserved.
North Carolina
East Carteret HS donating football ticket sales to Western North Carolina
CARTERET COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) – As flag twirlers rehearse for Friday’s senior night football match against Southside High School, East Carteret High School is also preparing for a great cause.
100% of Friday night’s ticket sales will be donated to support Buncombe County Schools, which were severely impacted by Hurricane Helene.
East Carteret High School Cheer Captain and Student Body President Savannah Tyndall expressed her gratitude for the support they received during previous hurricanes and the tragic plane crash in 2022.
Now it’s their turn to give back, she says.
“We can’t pay back these families or these kids education that they lost…but we can give them the funding to try to rebuild and help in whatever ways they need,” says Tyndall.
East Carteret High School Principal Jay Westbrook says everyone was excited when they decided to donate the funds to Buncombe County.
He says he knew what to do when he called Buncombe County’s school superintendent.
“So I reached out to Dr. Jackson and it was a Saturday morning and I could tell there was a tremendous need of help because I know him very well,” says Westbrook.
Dr. Rob Jackson is no stranger to East Carteret High because he used to be the Carteret County School superintendent before moving back home to Buncombe County and becoming the superintendent there.
Westbrook says he wanted to help out as much as he could for a friend who helped him during previous tragic events.
Dr. Jackson says he is more than grateful to see the outpour of support for an area hit hard.
“Donations through our education foundation allows us to meet the needs of our students and their families and our staff members that have lost a home, a car, or where floods occurred and where many literally lost everything,” says Dr. Jackson.
Westbrook says East Carteret High School is mainly collecting monetary funds so they can be distributed to where it’s needed the most.
Tickets for the game are $8.00 each. Donations will also be accepted at the entry gate.
Copyright 2024 WITN. All rights reserved.
North Carolina
Several North Carolina state parks reopening after Helene
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AXIOS) – Multiple state parks across western North Carolina were reopening, at least partially, on Nov. 1.
State parks west of I-77 have been closed for weeks due to Hurricane Helene.
Why it matters: State parks are a major draw to western North Carolina. They provide miles of hiking trails for visitors to explore, especially during the fall as people travel to witness leaves change color.
State of play: Crowders Mountain, Gorges, Grandfather Mountain and Lake Norman state parks, plus Rendezvous Mountain will reopen on Nov. 1, the Division of Parks and Recreation announced Wednesday.
What to expect: Keep in mind, some state parks may only be partially open and others remain closed due to hazardous trees and branches, unsteady bridges and washed-out trails. Here’s what to expect at parks reopening Friday:
Crowders Mountain State Park
Trails and day-use from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. will reopen. Camping, however, remains closed through November.
- Look for the Charlotte skyline on a clear day.
Distance: 45 minutes from Charlotte; 3 hours 18 minutes from Raleigh
Gorges State Park
Grassy Ridge access at 976 Grassy Ridge Road, Sapphire, North Carolina will reopen, including the visitor center, trails to Rainbow and Upper Bearwallow Falls, plus RV, trailer, tent camping and cabins.
- The backcountry area, including Frozen Creek access, Auger Hole and Canebrake trails, plus backcountry campsites, will remain closed.
Distance: 3 hours from Charlotte; 5 hours from Raleigh
Grandfather Mountain State Park
Most trails and campsites here will reopen. Profile trail, Profile Connector trail and Profile campsite, however, will remain closed
Distance: 2 hours 15 minutes from Charlotte; 3 hours 40 minutes from Raleigh
Lake Norman State Park
Day-use, tent, trailer, RV and campsites will reopen.
- Cabins are closed to new reservations, but existing reservations will be honored.
- Some mountain bike trail sections may be closed.
- Distance: 50 minutes from Charlotte; 2.5 hours from Raleigh
Rendezvous Mountain
All areas of Rendezvous Mountain (1956 Rendezvous Mountain Road, Purlear, North Carolina) will reopen.
Distance: 1 hour 50 minutes from Charlotte; 2 hours 48 minutes from Raleigh
Parks that remain closed:
Zoom in: Chimney Rock, Mount Mitchell and South Mountains are expected to be closed longer than others. Campsite reservations at state parks that are closed or expect to be closed at the time of the reservation have been refunded, per the Division of Parks and Recreation.
What’s next: Some parks may partially reopen in November, according to State Parks Director Brian Strong.
What they’re saying: “We know our visitors have been missing our closed parks, and we hope these reopenings will help our neighbors, local towns, and communities,” Strong said in a statement.
This story from Axios Charlotte was published as part of a partnership.
Copyright 2024 WBTV. All rights reserved.
North Carolina
How country music’s Eric Church is helping support Western North Carolina after Helene
Country singer Eric Church talks about his love for Western North Carolina
Country singer Eric Church talks about his love for area of Western North Carolina hard hit by Tropical Storm Helene
BANNER ELK – A few days after he performed at an epic concert that raised nearly $25 million for Western North Carolina, country music star Eric Church quietly toured Banner Elk with Gov. Roy Cooper, viewing Tropical Storm Helene damage and relief efforts.
“It’s the most special place in the world to me, the mountains of this area,” Church said.
Church grew up in Granite Falls and now spends about half the year in his Banner Elk home. He’s been helping support WNC since Helene hit, raising money and developing plans for long-term recovery.
Most notably, Church and fellow country singer/North Carolina native Luke Combs managed to quickly bring together acts like James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban and more for the “Concert for Carolina” on Oct. 26 in Charlotte. Over 80,000 people attended the Bank of America Stadium show, a news release said, which Church himself opened with “Hallelujah.”
“I’ve never played a show closer to my heart,” he told the audience.
The millions the concert raised will benefit Helene victims through nonprofits such as Samaritan’s Purse, Manna Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, as well as Church’s own nonprofit, Chief Cares.
Eric Church announces ‘Blueprint for Blue Ridge’ homebuilding effort
At the concert, Church announced another effort to help Helene victims: a Chief Cares initiative called “A Blueprint for the Blue Ridge” that will build 100 homes for families in Avery County and the surrounding area. He spoke about it Oct. 31 in Banner Elk.
Chief Cares is partnering with Clayton Homes for the project, he said, and a team will be in Avery County next week to locate suitable land.
“Once we deliver the land to them, they’ll put 100 homes in Avery County in 100 days,” he said of Clayton Homes.
There’s no construction timeline yet, and Church did not yet know how families will be selected for the homes.
Other goals of “Blueprint for the Blue Ridge” include addressing “longer-term needs like creating jobs, rebuilding schools, and supporting local businesses,” the Chief Cares website says.
In another long-term effort, Church is signing over the publishing royalties from his song “Darkest Hour,” his first solo song in over three years, to “the people of North Carolina,” a news release said.
“We’ve been helping with boots on the ground efforts, but this is something that will live beyond just the immediate recovery,” he said. “This is not a quick thing to fix, so hopefully ‘Darkest Hour’ will be able to contribute to that for a long time to come. This song goes to my home, North Carolina, now and forever.”
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