By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With the Southeast affected by the destruction of Hurricane Helene, Tennessee Tech, Cookeville Communications and Freddy Duncan and Sons Moving and Storage will partner to hold a relief drive at Saturday's football game vs. South Carolina State.
Donations will be accepted on Stadium Drive to minimize impact on gameday parking. Donors will receive a coupon for two free tickets to the game or any 2024 home football game.
Items currently needed include:
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Trash bags
- Gloves (medical and work)
- Shampoo/Body Wash/Hand Soap
- Deodorant (men's and women's)
- Rubbing alcohol
- Band-aids
- UNOPENED and IN-DATE Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc.
- Wet Wipes
- Charcoal
- Small propane tanks
- Gas cans and gift cards for fuel
- Cleaning supplies
- Candles
- Clorox wipes
- Paper towels
- Toilet paper
- Mops/buckets
- Brooms
- Large garbage cans
- Rakes
- Scrub brushes
- Surface cleaners (Windex, Mr. Clean, etc.)
- Bottled water
- Dog and cat food
- Baby wipes
Cash donations will also be accepted. Absolutely no clothing will be accepted at this time.
Donations will be accepted from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In the aftermath of this weekend's storm, at least 119 have died with thousands still missing with many unable to leave their location or contact family or loved ones with communication infrastructure damaged. Hundreds of roads are still closed and an estimated two million customers are still without power.
Tennessee Tech saw the effects of the storm first-hand over the weekend while traveling for its football game at Gardner-Webb. The team traveled to Charlotte then to Boiling Springs with no power at their hotel, then at the game on Saturday. A van of Tech athletic trainers traveling to the game became stranded at Black Mountain, N.C. until they could receive fuel and a clear path to return home on Sunday.
It was a combined effort from many sources to make last week's game happen, but it was a sobering reminder of what the people in the affected areas are going through and will continue to work through as relief efforts and cleanup goes on.
