Franklin County Firefighters Collecting Items for Tornado Victims

What began as an effort by one Franklin County fire department to collect some supplies for those left homeless by Monday’s devastating tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, has turned into a countywide movement.

Donations of items for victims of the tornado are being accepted at the Carnesville Fire Department through Friday. Nick Clark is a firefighter for the Carnesville Fire Department.

Clark said Wednesday, the idea to send help grew to include  all of the firefighters in Franklin County.

“After talking to a couple of the other fire chiefs, we decided to make it a countywide, Franklin County Firefighters Association collection drive,” Clark said.

Clark said Davis Transfer of Carnesville has donated an 18-wheeler for the collection and has offered to drive the supplies to Oklahoma at no charge.

Clark said a number of other businesses in the county are also working with the firefighters to donate items, such as Pharmatech in Royston, AutoZone in Lavonia, Cornerstone Ministries in Carnesville and Ed Murdock Superstores.

One private citizen, Eloise Wilkins, also stopped by the Carnesville Fire Station Wednesday with a huge donation of $1,500 dollars worth of hamburger meat.  Wilkins, who owns his own business, said Wednesday, he has been blessed and just wanted to bless others.

“If the same had happened here, they would probably be helping us here,” Wilkins said. “So when I got up this morning I decided I was going to do something to try and help out.”

However, Wilkins did not realize the firefighters did not have a refrigerator truck to haul the meat to Oklahoma. But Clark said they had another idea Wednesday – have an afternoon cookout.

“We started cooking hamburgers and hopefully sell as many as we can,” he said. “Whatever cases of hamburger patties we have left we will sell so we can buy products to put on the trailer.”

That cookout along with monetary donations raised $1,800 Wednesday, according to Clark.  The money will go to buy more supplies for those who lost everything in Oklahoma.

Clark said they will be taking donations through Friday and hope to have the truck filled and ready to pull out by Friday evening at 5p. He said they will take any kind of non-perishable items.

“We talked to some folks this morning that they need clothing, kids clothing, household items, personal items,” he said. “But we don’t have boxes so people need to put their items in boxes so we can stack them in the truck. These people lost everything so we’re going to try and collect what we can and get it to them.”

The trailer is parked at the Carnesville Fire Department on SR59 in Carnesville and will be there until Friday afternoon.

Anyone with questions, should call Clark at 706-988-7466.