By Daniel Brasington ’25
Two Wofford College students — Grant Blackwell ’27 and Hank Thomas ’27 — saw the devastation of Hurricane Helene as an opportunity to give back.
Blackwell, an environmental studies major from Charleston, South Carolina, and Thomas, a business economics major from Powdersville, South Carolina, both sprang into action, finding communities in need of assistance and communities supporting them.
“When the hurricane hit, I knew that the damage in Spartanburg was severe, but I also knew that many communities in North Carolina and Tennessee were even worse off,” says Blackwell. He and his family and friends — including Josie Wiggins ’27 of Spartanburg — started fundraising as soon as they realized the scope of the devastation. They raised about $3,200.
“Josie and I bounced from store to store buying canned goods, baby formula, chainsaws, bleach, water bottles and other necessities,” says Blackwell. “We drove through North Carolina to deliver the goods to a church in Tennessee, and many of the roads were closed.”
Thomas also connected with a group already mobilized to serve. He initially started clearing trees and roads near Wofford’s campus, but he still felt the call to do more.
“I headed to Hickory Regional Airport to find a group of volunteers, which included the 82nd Airborne Division, a group of firefighters from Charleston and several others who wanted to help,” says Thomas. “A small group of us created a notecard system to dispatch pilots on rescue missions from our help line, with over 2,500 requests. After the week was over, our group successfully evacuated over 400 people and delivered tens of thousands of pounds of food and medical supplies.”
Throughout this process, both Blackwell and Thomas found that giving their time and energy to others made a lasting impact on them as well.
“I am not sure if I knew what I was getting into, but this experience cemented my faith and turned my eyes to the good that I could continue to do in the world,” says Thomas. “Seeing hundreds of people like me coming together against all odds was an inspiration.”