For those of you who have seen the horrific images from our area, you can imagine our surprise when the power came back on at camp Wednesday evening late. My wheels started spinning, and I immediately went to the kitchen and fired up our walk-in cooler and freezer and the ice machines. By yesterday, we had 80 bags of ice which we wrapped in sleeping bags in the back of my truck and headed up to Cedar Mountain, a more remote community that is just seeing power restoration and commodity delivery a week later. We met up with current campers Izzy Gentle and Lucy Harris and their parents (Camp High Rocks owners and directors Zoob and Don Gentle) and quickly depleted our stores at the volunteer fire departments and to local residents.
Laurie and I are still without power and though Duke says it will be restored by tomorrow, I am putting money on “doubtful.” We do have a generator that we are running intermittantly to keep the refrigerator cold and the hot water warm for baths for baby Jasper. By next week, our office should be fully functional again, and the phones and email should be working with someone on the other end.
We are thankful for all the warm well wishes. Please know that camp was impacted minimally. We will be working to add exciting programs including special overnights (think sleepovers not camping) for older girls in the 3 and 4 week sessions. We will also get started on some camp upgrades including new mountain bike trails and some building upgrades.
Unfortunately that is not the case for many of our neighbors. Recovery will be long and expensive. We encourage you all to give of your resources as you see fit. The Community Foundation of NC has a page dedicated on their website to recovery efforts.
We will provide more updates as we continue this journey. Illahee love to all!
❤️❤️❤️prayers for ILLAHEE and the surrounding area.
The Sullivan Family (Lilley) from Charleston is thinking of you. We are participating in efforts to send goods. My oldest son, Riley, a graduate of The Asheville School is there today dropping off goods throughout the area. I can’t comprehend all the spots we love so dearly in the NC mountains and in my nearby hometown of the Tri-Cities, TN. The best of the best people live in those areas and I know they will prevail. Our love, thoughts and prayers are certainly with you all.
So glad to hear you are all doing well and to hear of your service in the community It is a blessing to those of us praying and donating from afar to see photos of you on the ground helping the community! We love you!