It was a joyous occasion Friday inside the Elizabethton/Carter County Public Library.
Just mere days after the Carter County Community Advisory Board (CAB) announced they were taking donations for Elizabethton and Carter County firefighters helping with the Gatlinburg wildfires, expectations were well surpassed.
“This is maybe around one-twentieth of what we got,” CAB Vice Chair Thomas Davis said, motioning to table and cart full of supplies inside the library. “We had so much come in. In the span of two, three days the community answered the call.”
What started as an idea to assist firemen with necessities, turned into a situation where multiple trips were having to be made to send off supplies.
“We are just so amazed and grateful that our community came together to support these firemen that are on the front line in Gatlinburg,” CAB Secretary Jilian Reece said. “They work so hard to keep the people Tennessee safe and it was great to see the support come in from everyone.”
Various items were brought including, water, prepackaged snacks (i.e. granola bars, energy bars), work socks, underwear and undershirts, baby wipes and toiletries
The CAB members commended the efforts of Brannan Vanover. Vanover’s husband, Cody, and Jonathan Royce, are local firemen that took time out and volunteered their time to help combat the blazes.
Brannan brought her SUV and loaded up Friday and thanked emergency personnel helping in Gatlinburg and at home. Along with items for firemen, Brannan added that firefighters will also give out children’s items that were donated to families in the area.
After generating sizeable success, the CAB is still accepting items if individuals have them to provide. The supplies will address future projects the board will undertake. One example brought up was a homeless count sponsored by the library and Red Legacy Recovery – where some leftover packages of water will be used.
“If somebody has something that want to bring in to donate, bring it on,” Davis added. “There’s some stuff in the community that we can do and plan on doing. It’s always good to prepared.”