People have heard, read and seen the devastation of “the worst natural disaster in North Carolina history” — with 42 people dead, 30,000 homes damaged and many destroyed — and they want to help.

From state officials issuing an appeal for trained medical personnel to Rowan-Salisbury businesses, hospitals, organizations, civic groups, individuals and schools doing their part to help flood victims, the response has been tremendous.

Rowan County United Way dollars are being “stretched” an extra mile. At its meeting Wednesday, the board of directors voted to provide $10,000 in emergency assistance to help with Hurricane Floyd disaster relief efforts in eastern North Carolina.

The United Way’s decision will increase their challenge to meet this year’s goal of $2.25 million and increased support from individuals and companies.

Eric Ennis, manager of the Rowan County Agricultural Fair, said this morning the fair board of directors has issued a $5,000 challenge grant for eastern N.C. hurricane relief.

Individuals, businesses and organizations are being asked to donate money that will be matched by the fair. A barrel will be placed near the front entrance of the fairgrounds on Julian Road for donations of cash or checks. Checks may be made to the Rowan County Fair Association, designated for hurricane relief, and mailed to P.O. Box 66, Salisbury, N.C. 28145.

All money raised will be sent to Gov. Jim Hunt, in response to his statewide appeal for help.

For East and West high schools, their collection project keeps growing.

Assistant Principal Ron Horton said he called Food Lion to see if it would consider donating items for the project.

Food Lion is not only donating canned goods, bottled water, diapers, brooms and mops, but also the company is allowing East to use one of its trailers to load all the collected goods. Horton said Food Lion will transport the trailer to Tarboro. “When it is full, they’ll try to help us get it to the coast,” Horton said.

Both schools launched a fund raising effort in conjunction with the football game Friday. As of Wednesday, East has raised about $500, Horton said, and West has raised $750 as of this morning.

West also is collecting canned goods.

“I can’t believe it,” Horton said. “It’s amazing what’s going on. This has really snowballed, and people just want to help like crazy.”

At the game, which East will host, people can bring money or canned goods, bottled water, diapers, baby food, bottles, brooms, mops and cleaning supplies for flood victims.

For those who don’t want to come to the game, someone will be at East to collect anything people want to drop off anytime during the day.

• North and Salisbury high schools are collecting canned goods at their football game this Friday, too. This is the second year the schools have collected supplies for the Salvation Army. This time, the collection has been designated to go to the flood victims. Anyone wanting to help can bring canned goods to the game hosted by Salisbury High.
• Rockwell and Overton Elementary schools are also collecting items for the Salvation Army.
• Pfeiffer University’s Athletics Department, Student Government and the university’s Volunteer Center are also collecting items for flood victims.

People can drop off non-perishable food, bottled water, clothing and personal toiletries at the Misenheimer campus’ Merner Gymnasium (off U.S. 52, two miles north of the junction with U.S. Highway 49 in Richfield).

Baby food and bottled water are items in particular demand.

By using a truck, trailer and driver donated by E.J.Snyder & Co., Inc., and Stanly Knitting Mills, Inc., the university community hopes to gather as many essential items as possible.

“Our students, faculty and staff simply want to do something to help,” said Dr. Chuck Ambrose, president of the college. “As Floyd approached, we were prepared for the worst to happen to our campus, and we were fortunate. Now it’s time to help those that weren’t so fortunate.”

During the day, members of the Pfeiffer University community will be available to receive donations.

Pfeiffer University plans to send a group of students, faculty and staff to the flooded area to help with relief work during the university’s scheduled fall break.

• Harris Teeter has joined with Second Harvest Food Banks in collecting for hurricane relief. Harris Teeter has already donated $140,000 worth of ice and water. Now they are collecting food and other non-perishable items.

Donations may be dropped off at any Harris Teeter store in North Carolina through Sept. 30. Harris Teeter will deliver the donated items to the Second Harvest Food Banks for distribution. Items most needed include canned goods, powdered milk, disposable utensils, peanut butter, baby food and formula, bottled water, bleach and cleaning supplies, breakfast and granola bars, ready-to-eat meals and snacks, diapers and baby care items. For more information about donations, call Harris Teeter at (800) 432-6111.

• Food Lion has shipped at least five truckloads of water, food and cleaning supplies to families stranded in eastern N.C., delivering the goods to the American Red Cross warehouse at Highway 11 and Greenville Boulevard in Pitt County.

Also, Food Lion has directed shipments of Powerade, ice and snacks to about 9,000 Carolina Power & Light workers.

All 1,120 Food Lion stores in the company’s 11-state operating area are collecting cash donations from shoppers in specially marked canisters at the check-out. A number of stores in the Carolinas, including Rowan County, are collecting donated food items and cleaning supplies for local non-profit organizations.

Food Lion will host an employee Dress Casual Day next week in which Food Lion employees will have an opportunity to contribute money and show their support for the American Red Cross by dressing casually for work.

• Shiloh United Methodist Church, 234 S. Main St., Granite Quarry, is collecting bottled water and baby diapers. Call 279-2112.
• VFW 3006 will take donations beginning Saturday at 9 a.m. at their post, 1200 Brenner Ave. They will be accepting children’s toys, pampers, wipes, baby formula, any non-perishable items or monetary donations for disaster victims of Hurricane Floyd.
• The fair, which is sponsored by the Spencer and Faith Jaycees, has a trailer on the fairgrounds for donations of non-perishable goods. The trailer is provided by the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army will accept collections at its location at 620 Bringle Ferry Rd., and has other collections center locations including the The Hefner VA Medical Center in Buildings 1 and 3, Rowan County Recycling and Salisbury Wal-Mart.

• All the items collected by the Salvation Army will be hauled to affected areas by trailers donated from Carolina Logistics
• Winn Auto Sales & U-Haul, 1705 S. Cannon Blvd. in Kannapolis, will accept non-monetary donations such as bottled water, baby items, shovels and rakes and will deliver all those goods to the east. The company will accept donations during normal business hours Monday through Friday. For information, call owner Johnnie Love at 933-2833.
• Nurses and nurse practitioners wanting to help should call 919-715-4385. Physicians and physician assistants should call 1-800-722-1350.