The American death toll from Hurricane Matthew is now at 31, and the state that was supposed to avoid the brunt of the storm’s wrath is the one hit the hardest. Of the 31 Americans killed by the storm, at least 20 are from North Carolina.
The flooding following the storm is the biggest culprit for this death and destruction in the state, and the flooding is only getting worse. It will not reach its peak until Friday, and President Obama has declared a state of emergency for 31 counties.
In the face of this disaster, the Carolina Panthers have pledged to donate $250,000 in grant funding to high school athletic programs in North Carolina and South Carolina that have been negatively impacted by Matthew. The funding is designed to help schools, “in the replacement or repair of equipment, supplies or athletic infrastructure lost or damaged due to the hurricane.”
Schools will have until November 11 to submit applications for assistance from the fund, which will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
“The recent hurricane and subsequent flooding events has been devastating for many communities across the region, with many high schools sustaining loss or damage to athletic equipment or facilities,” said Riley Fields, Panthers director of community relations. “The Carolina Panthers hope this grant funding will enable schools, and the communities they serve, to return to a sense of normalcy by helping meet the important basic needs of high school athletic programs.”
The team put on a similar program in October of 2015 to assist 19 high schools dealing with disastrous flooding in South Carolina.