On November 14, Governor Roy Cooper announced over $14 million has been donated to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund since Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina earlier this fall. Help has poured into the state from across the country and around the world, including in the form of monetary donations to the relief fund that are already supporting nonprofits working to meet the immediate needs of storm victims.
“The road to recovery from Hurricane Helene is steep and challenging, but North Carolina is determined to succeed and every one of these donations helps,” Governor Cooper said. “We are heartened to see so many people continuing to support Western North Carolina and we are deeply grateful for each dollar donated.”
Donations have funded grants totaling $841,606 to 86 organizations working in 29 storm-impacted counties. Nonprofits working in western North Carolina are encouraged to apply today with United Way of North Carolina for immediate needs grants. Once immediate needs grant requests are fulfilled, remaining funds will support long-term recovery grants through the North Carolina Community Foundation.
Support From Near and Far
Since Governor Cooper activated it following the storm, North Carolina’s Disaster Relief Fund has received donations from people in all 50 states as well as other countries including Canada, Great Britain and Taiwan. Schoolchildren and churches have taken up collections to donate. Corporations and foundations have also stepped up to give. Several large dollar donors chose to remain anonymous.
Top donors include:
- Lennar Homes Foundation: $1 million
- BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina Foundation: $1 million
- Taiwan (Taipei Economic And Cultural Office): $300,000
- Verizon: $300,000
- FEETURES!: $230,708
- Seqirus: $175,000
- Amgen Foundation: $150,000
- Centene: $100,000
- DP World: $100,000
- Duke Energy Foundation: $100,000
- NC Railroad, Inc: $100,000
- PayPal Giving Fund: $100,000
- Tik Tok: $100,000
- Wells Fargo: $100,000
- Aya Healthcare Inc: $85,000
- The Gehtland Family Fund: $75,000
- ExxonMobil: $75,000
- Live Nation Worldwide: $52,613.39
- IEM: $50,000
- The Trexler Foundation: $50,000
- QuikTrip: $50,000
- Charter: $50,000
- Employees at The Swag and Cataloochee Ranch: $40,000
- Georgia State Society of Washington DC: $40,000
- Moore & Van Allen Foundation: $38,500
- T & L Longe Charitable Foundation: $35,000
- Piedmont Plastic Surgery & Dermatology: $30,000
- Banc of California: $25,000
- Bill and Agnes Monk Family Foundation: $25,000
- Broadcom Foundation: $25,000
- Colin Brown Foundation: $25,000
- FMS Bonds, Inc.: $25,000
- Lennar Carolinas, LLC: $25,000
- PepsiCo Foundation: $25,000
- The Chalfont Fund: $25,000
- Tapestry: $25,000
- Spanx: $24,893
Image above: Sam Souhail, owner of the Casablanca Cigar Bar, clears mud from his shop at the Biltmore Village across from the Biltmore Estate in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Oct. 1 in Asheville. Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits for the Triangle Business Journal
