Volusia Schools Contributes To Hurricane Michael Relief

DeLand, FL - A team of eight men with heavy machinery in tow head to the Panhandle on behalf of Volusia Schools to help out with the Hurricane Michael recovery effort. Volusia County Schools, one school district that is no stranger to hurricanes, sent help to the Panhandle districts that are currently in the middle of rebuilding after Hurricane Michael ravaged it just two weeks ago. To help out with the effort, Volusia sent an eight-man team made up of electricians, carpenters and a plumber, with six trucks full of equipment to Jackson County to assist in the recovery effort. Their mission was to help Jackson County, a small county near Alabama with only 17 schools, get back up and running. Russ Tysinger, Volusia's director of maintenance and operations, said the crew was astounded by the amount of damage they saw when they arrived. Tysinger said that they brought heavy-duty trucks as well as a Bobcat digger to help with the effort. He also mentioned that he planned on being "self-sufficient," saying that they brought every spare part they could think of so they can make repairs while out in the field. They also brought two generators that are powering a district office building and a shelter.  

A warm welcome home for our Volusia County Schools crew that helped clear debris from 4 schools and the bus depot in Jackson County. They are also borrowing our generator to power their admin building. #Allin #vcsproud #vscstrong https://t.co/7PW12uRbJV

— Volusia Schools (@volusiaschools) October 24, 2018

Yesterday (October 25th), the crew finally returned home after their time in the Panhandle. However, the help didn't stop there. The district is asking every parent, student and staff member to donate $1 to a Gadsden County school district relief fund effort. Between Volusia's 63,000 students and nearly 7,500 employees, they hope to raise more than $70,000 by Friday (October 26th). Schools are also being asked to share what they're doing on Twitter using #Allin For those that would like to contribute, they can contact their nearest Volusia County School. The Florida Association of District School Superintendents has also started a GoFundMe for the relief effort. You can click here to learn more.