Helping victims of Sandy

NOVEMBER 8, 2012
by Jenn Summers ’13, Contributing Writer

Hurricane Sandy, which slammed into the Northeast October 30, is affecting places as far south as Furman.

More than 300 students here are from families living in the area impacted by Sandy. One of those students,  sophomore baseball player Jacob Kinsley, decided to do something to help.

Kinsley is from Long Island, New York where his mother, father, and younger brother are currently struggling with loss of power. Kinsley sent an e-mail to President Smolla about what could be done to help and that led him to Nancy Cooper, director of the Heller Service Corps.

“We’ve always been a part of heading up response to disasters like Sandy. Everyone in Heller is excited to help and behind it one hundred percent, ” said Cooper.

Cooper and Kinsley met and brainstormed fundraising ideas for the American Red Cross’ efforts. Fundraising began last Saturday at the men’s soccer game where they raised $171. The next big component is a raffle for an iPad, the drawing for which will take place November 17 at halftime of the Citadel football game.

Other plans include selling hot chocolate and donuts with Heller during the week of final exams and potentially holding ” penny war” competitions between sports teams, sororities and fraternities.

“It’s a work in progress, but the main thing is to help the people who need it,” Kinsley said, who added that his family is safe but hoping the weather will soon relent.

If you’d like to donate to the American Red Cross’s efforts to assist Hurricane Sandy victims, you can use cash or credit/debit to purchase raffle tickets in the Heller office upstairs in the Trone Center or at the tables set up in the Trone Center Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. One ticket is $5 or three tickets for $10.