AVERY COUNTY, N.C. — As the temperatures drop the need for those impacted by Helene rises in the mountains.
“Everybody is familiar with the mountains in the wintertime,” said Rick Petitt, Base Commander for the Carolina-Piedmont U.S. Submarine Veterans. “It looks bleak at this point but everybody recovers from this. It takes time, it takes energy. You have lots of friends and neighbors in North Carolina.”
That’s why WCNC Charlotte launched the Share The Warmth Campaign. It’s a campaign that caught the eye of the North Carolina-based submarine veterans group looking to help with a mighty $10,000 donation.
Pettit, a Concord resident, was watching a recent WCNC Charlotte newscast and learned about the campaign. He said he wanted to donate because it was impactful and no one else was doing anything like it.
Pettit and his shipmates banded together for the donation. But they quickly learned their generosity would be met with a big boost.
Avery County had just issued an urgent plea for heaters. WCNC Charlotte contacted Lowe's to help provide a much-needed resource. Lowe’s not only matched the veterans' $10,000 donation but also doubled it to help provide pallets of comfort. A Lowe’s truck delivered 200 indoor/outdoor Mr. Heater Buddy FLEX heaters, 200 propane tanks with hose attachments, and 1,000 battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors to distribute to residents in need in Avery County.
“The need is real and the suffering people are going through is real,” said Sean Reilly, regional vice president of store operations for Lowe’s in the Carolinas. “The inspiring thing for me is the resiliency of the people western North Carolina.”
The submarine veterans have a special connection to the mountains, giving them even more drive to pitch in.
“We have a monument on the top of moonshine mountain in Burnsville so we consider everyone in the mountains friends and family,” said Petitt.
Those are friends and family Petitt said he and his fellow submarine veterans will always stand by.
“We’re used to volunteering, it’s just our nature,” said Petitt. “It’s our personality.
The local fire departments in Avery County will distribute the donated supplies in the days and weeks ahead.
There are still many needs for North Carolina's High Country. To learn more about ways you can help, click here.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.