Valley Fire Companies Taking Donations to Tornado-Devastated Kentucky
SUNBURY – Some Valley companies are quickly pitching in to help people devastated by the deadly tornadoes in Mayfield, Kentucky, but they need your help.
The Lower Augusta Township and Goodwill Hose Fire Companies are leading the efforts and have set up collection drop-offs at Sunbury Motors Kia in Hummels Wharf, Cole’s Hardware in Sunbury and Country Turf and Trail along Route 147 south of Sunbury.
“Can goods, non-perishable items, paper plates…something that they can use with no power…toilet paper, paper towels…the biggest thing we’d like to do as well is take some toys down for the kids for Christmas…at least put some sort of bright spot in there for them, said one of the organizers, Tracy Boyer. She’s also in touch with Kellogg’s in Muncy, who’s planning to send food donations. Boyer says donations can be placed right into 24-foot trailers already at the donation sites.
Lower Augusta Township Captain Brett Boyer says donations have also included cattle and chicken feed and dog and cat food and can’t believe the amount of support already, “We just started on Saturday contacting people and several businesses have already reached out. It’s phenomenal. We just thought it was going to be a few of us grabbing our personal trailers and taking it down and so far, it’s just snowballing. It’s amazing.”
Brett Boyer says more enclosed trailers 18-20 feet are still needed as well.
He says there’s a semi-local connection, as Country Trail and Turf’s Ryan Boyer has been in touch with colleagues at his business’ main production plant, ‘Bad Boy Mowers,’ located in Mayfield, “It missed (the tornadoes) their facility but it wiped out everything around them. We contacted one of the EMA directors down there and they’re saying they’re really not getting any support yet. We just said ‘you know what, let’s just blow this up and see what we can do.’”
Brett Boyer says they are teaming up with some Ohio fire companies in the effort as well. He says they’ll leave early Monday morning and hope to make the 12 ½ hour, almost 900-mile drive in one day. Boyer says they’ll stay down there over Christmas to help unload the donations.
