The Boyd Foundation Donates $3.5M for Hurricane Helene Recovery in East Tennessee

In the wake of the destruction left by Hurricane Helene, The Boyd Foundation has stepped forward to contribute a significant donation to support relief efforts for ravaged East Tennessee communities. The foundation, comprising University of Tennessee System President Randy Boyd, his wife Jenny, their sons Thomas and Harrison, and daughter-in-law Lindsey, committed a total of $3.5 million to the affected areas.

The Boyd family visited the disaster sites and consulted with local officials to assess the needs of each county. Based on these discussions, they decided to provide substantial financial aid—including $1 million each to Carter, Unicoi, and Cocke counties, and an additional $500,000 to Johnson County. Their decision to donate funds rather than goods came after recognizing the inundation of physical supplies like bottled water and paper goods in the affected areas. As Randy Boyd told Knox News, "Their needs are hundreds of times greater. While no one of us can fix everything, if we all work together, we can do anything! I hope others will join us. As Tennesseans, we take care of each other."

Hurricane Helene, which struck on September 27, has resulted in varied damage across the counties, with some requiring crucial infrastructure repairs, such as barbed wire for farmlands and technological resources for schools. Students in Carter County, for instance, have been forced to learn offsite due to the extensive damage suffered by Hampton High School. In Johnson County, there is a pressing requirement for more fencing to protect farm animals. Meanwhile, Cocke County needs to rebuild hundreds of homes and buildings, as relayed in a news release mentioned by WATE.

The Boyd Foundation's contribution is aimed to rapidly bring relief to those affected, with Randy Boyd articulating the sentiment that knowing help is on the way can offer some comfort to victims. Unicoi County notably lost an industrial park and an animal shelter. Over in Cocke County, approximately 250 homes were classified as "unlivable," and the county offices' building sustained severe damage, rendering it unusable, as detailed in an announcement shared by WVLT. The Boyd Foundation's move underscores a community-driven response, emphasizing the collective obligation to support one another through crisis as Randy Boyd reiterated, “As Tennesseans, we take care of each other.”