Rotary Clubs Come to Rescue in Gatlinburg Fire
Written By: Patrick Moynahan
Florence, Kentucky – December 3, 2018 – In the wake of devastating natural disasters, someone has to do something immediately, says Pigeon Forge (Tenn.) Rotarian Jerry Wear.
That someone were the five Rotary clubs in Sevier County following the Chimney Tops 2 Fire that killed 14 people, injured 134 and damaged or destroyed more than 2,500 buildings around Gatlinburg, Tenn., in November 2016.
Volunteers from the five Rotary clubs took the lead in providing emergency assistance as soon as the fire was contained. They converted a 125,000 square foot warehouse into a disaster relief center that ultimately distributed $4.6 million in food, clothing and household goods, according to Wear.
“Committees are not what you need when people don’t have a place to go, they’ve lost their homes, they’ve lost their cars and they’ve lost family members,” he said.
Wear described how Sevier County Rotarians quickly mounted a massive relief effort at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Florence, Kentucky (serving all of Boone County) on Monday, December 3rd. He said the fire, which started near a remote hiking trail in the Great Smoky Mountains, spread out of control when winds reaching 87 mph hit the area four days after the fire began.
“Embers were blowing two miles ahead of the fire line,” Wear said. “When it hit a roof, the home burst into flames.”
Emergency response personnel quickly evacuated 14,000 residents and tourists. All but three hotels opened rooms for people driven out of their homes by the fires, according to Wear.
That took care one of the first priorities: a place to stay. Rotarians went to work to take care of the other immediate needs: food and clothing. Donations of clothing poured in but only 20 percent of it was “new, gently used and appropriate,” Wear said.
“It’s not appropriate to wear bikinis and sandals in winter,” he joked.
The Rotarians put 450 people to work sorting the clothing. They baled unusable items and raised $43,000 by selling them. They bought additional food items, clothing and medical supplies and Rotarian pharmacists set up a drug store.
In the first two weeks, the Rotarians received four tractor-trailer loads of Pop Tarts, but “people cannot live on Pop Tarts alone,” Wear said. Then came canned meats and 48,000 pounds of beans. When supplies ran low, the Rotarians called the district governor who would line up a donor.
An average of 3,500 people a day came to the distribution center, according to Wear. A volunteer walked each person through the center to ensure they received everything they needed and didn’t take things they didn’t need.
“We even had more staff than Wal Mart,” Wear joked.
Then came an angel, he said. Dolly Parton, the country music legend who operates Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. She arranged a benefit that raised $17 million. She also gave every person who lost their home $1,000 a month for five months and $5,000 the sixth month, according to Wear.
“But if it weren’t for Rotary, the disaster would have been worse,” he said.
To watch a recording of Rotarian Wear’s presentation, please visit the club’s YouTube Channel or click on the video below.
The Rotary Club of Florence, Kentucky (serving all of Boone County) is a community service organization focusing on “service above self”. The club meets weekly on Mondays at noon at the Hilton Airport located at 7373 Turfway Road. Guests are always welcome. To learn more about upcoming speakers and events, please visit the club’s website at www.florencerotary.org or follow their Facebook page.
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