Companies and organizations are descending on affected communities in North Carolina with donations and volunteers as they begin to dig themselves out of a 100-year storm.
Hurricane Helene “wiped out whole communities” according to Governor Roy Cooper, leaving over 200,000 people without power and causing exceptional destruction even far inland from the Atlantic.
The response, particularly from the North Carolina sporting world has been inspiring and robust.
David Tepper, the owner of the Carolina Panthers and the Charlotte FC soccer team, has made a $3 million donation in concert with his wife through their charitable foundation to Helene relief efforts.
The David and Nicole Tepper Foundation’s contribution will focus on providing food and other essentials through community food banks and service agencies in the Carolinas.
“The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation, Carolina Panthers, and Charlotte FC stand alongside all those who have been affected by Hurricane Helene and the devastation it has wrought across the southeast, and particularly in our backyard throughout the Carolinas,” said David and Nicole Tepper said in a release.
“This is our home and we are committed to supporting relief efforts throughout the region by providing critical resources and aiding the efforts of our heroic first responders,” the Teppers said. “The impact on our community has been severe, but Carolinians are resilient and courageous, and together, we will rebuild and recover.”
The NFL at large followed the Tepper foundation’s lead, with clubs and ownership groups from the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the NFL Foundation itself, together donating another $5 million.
“Our hearts go out to all of those impacted by Hurricane Helene, and the NFL is committed to doing our part to help the affected communities recover,” said NFL Vice President of Philanthropy and Executive Director of the NFL Foundation Alexia Gallagher.
Three NASCAR entities, including Driver Greg Biffle, Joe Gibbs Racing team, and Hendrick Motorsports have all been using privately owned helicopters to carry supplies out to some of the most rural communities affected by the storm.
Biffle has been delivering pallets of donated Starlink hubs in his helicopter, as telecommunications are down across large parts of the state
The rural town of Banner Elk personally thanked Joe Gibbs Racing for using a helicopter to transport donated supplies there, as one of the main roads to the town passed over a bridge that was blown away by the flooding.
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Meanwhile, a contributing editor for Road & Track posted an image of helicopter flight paths on X. The copters belonged to the three entities mentioned above going back and forth to western North Carolina where damage has been particularly bad.
Support has been shown from beyond the sporting world as well, with Lowes and Home Depot contributing $2 million each through a variety of support operations.
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This week, Lowe’s stores will host relief events to distribute cleanup supplies in more than 25 communities across the affected regions. The company is also working closely with first responders to distribute relief supplies and donate much-needed products, like water, chainsaws, and generators, a statement said.
Home Depot’s donations will go to the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen, Convoy of Hope, Team Rubicon, and Operation Blessing—all organizations currently on the ground assisting affected communities.
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Team Depot, the volunteer force of the home improvement brand, is also working to help clean up in local communities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Georgia, including The Home Depot’s hometown of Atlanta. Money will also go to furnishing “tool banks” with the equipment needed to support cleanup and rebuilding efforts.
There are dozens of ways to help those affected with donations.
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Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story mistakenly referred to the David and Nicole Tepper Foundation as simply ‘The Tepper Foundation’.