by Dan Harr
The Ron Asby American Legion Post 304 in Acworth, partnering with the 9/11 Memorial Ride Foundation, provided relief trucks Saturday morning (October 12th) dropping donations at two different sites in Asheville, NC. Loaded with items donated by Post and non-Post members, the truck made its first stop at the Buncombe County collection site.
When we arrived there, we were the third truck in line (see the photo). Before we even hit the doors, five more trucks pulled up behind us. It was a continuous stream of donations pouring in to the location managed by The United Way. As you can see from the warehouse, they were well-stocked on relief items and were sending out loaded trucks all over the area to the outlying areas with needed supplies. The North Carolina National Guard was on site helping coordinate the efforts.
We then made contact with Crisis Response International, an organization of Churches and volunteers who provide relief across the world. They were an AMAZING group, providing a roll-thru donation site where people could come and stop at the different stations, picking up the things they needed. Once they had received supplies, they were provided a free hot lunch for their families from a large food truck on site. Brian and I sampled the chili over rice, garlic bread, apple sauce and a bag of chips. While we were there for an hour unloading, at least 200 cars came through the line.
Overall, this was a very successful trip and we helped many families, sending out an additional 15,000 pounds of good and materials. Thank you to all from the Post and all non-Post donors and 9/11 Memorial Ride volunteers who helped with this effort. The Post’s collection of donations is continuing so if you have more items to donate, please drop them off between the hours of 4pm and 10pm every day at the Post. The address is 4220 S. Main St., Acworth, GA 30101.
Operating on two separate weekends, the combined efforts of the Post and the 9/11 Memorial Ride Foundation delivered over 40,000 lbs of goods and materials to those with the greatest needs.
The photo gallery contains pics from both weekends. The first weekend trucks went to NC and S. GA. You can find out more information about those trips by CLICKING HERE.
