It feels like the violent storms that made their way across the midsection of our country this past weekend were actually weeks ago given the amount of devastation that we have been seeing daily on the news and the pit it has left in our collective stomachs as we have witnessed our fellow Americans deal with the aftermath of this tragedy. When we all woke up to the news on Saturday morning that these unprecedented tornados had hit many states along their path, I knew that NTCA members would be among the first to answer the call and volunteer your help. We have been overwhelmed with offers of assistance from members across the country, willing to send generators, supplies and manpower to fellow members in Kentucky and beyond as they begin to recover. It has been truly heartening to see your responses, and it always reminds me why our industry, the rural broadband family, is such a special one. The evolution of this industry to buried plant has saved many of our companies in the path of the storm from complete destruction and speaks to the continued importance of those efforts being supported. At least with generators and battery support, there is connectivity and a path to ask for help.
Shawnee Communications in Illinois shared the story of gathering donations and heading to the closest Walmart to purchase everything from toothpaste to diapers in carts upon carts of items to bring to impacted communities. Who knew that Walmart actually has a limit on the number of individual items you can purchase at one time? Kudos to the amazing Shawnee team for having so much in their carts that they needed to do multiple checkouts. Their pictures brought a smile to my face and maybe a few tears to my eyes. Similarly, the team from Citizens Telephone in Virginia jumped into action immediately, reaching out within minutes of the news with offers of support for their Kentucky friends and sending a final plea for what they could bring as they prepared to make the journey with the provision of services to those in need at the start of the week. Leadership with heart starts at the very top, indeed.
We will continue to update our Disaster Relief Clearinghouse with information as it becomes available. But right now, I think donations are what is needed most. We are joining with NTCA member WK&T Telecom, which serves some of the hardest-hit communities in Kentucky, to provide financial support for those who lost everything in the storms. WK&T has set up a fund for donations, and 100% of the funds will be used to provide aid to the families impacted by the tornado in Western Kentucky and Northwest Tennessee. Funds that come in after Christmas will be used to meet any other needs of these families. Trevor Bonnstetter, CEO of WK&T, is always the first in line to help other NTCA members and parts of the country when there is a need. I’ve known him to personally load up a truck of generators and supplies to personally deliver to folks in Louisiana after a hurricane. Now it is our turn to help our friend, his employees and the communities his cooperative serves.
Checks can be mailed to WK&T at 100 WK&T Technology Drive, Mayfield, KY 42066. Please include a note that your donation is for the WK&T Tornado Disaster Relief Fund. There will also be an option for bank transfers and credit card donations soon, as the WK&T team is working on setting that up now. For more information on these options, contact Davida Bridges at WK&T.
I know our NTCA community will respond with an abundance of kindness and generosity to help our industry friends begin to rebuild. For our part, the NTCA and SMC Boards of Directors have pledged to support the fund through a donation from each entity in addition to the donations that our own NTCA staff members have pledged. I’m continually amazed at how our membership and staff pulls together in tumultuous times. Thank you in advance for any help you can provide. And my thanks to our team who spent the weekend doing outreach, posting activating our clearinghouse and documenting offers of support.
Please continue to check the Disaster Relief Clearinghouse, and of course, keep these communities in your thoughts as they continue to recover. I must hold out hope that 2022 has to be a brighter year.
