By A.J. Kaufman, Managing Editor
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger stopped by the disaster relief center at Bristol Motor Speedway a few days after it opened in October.
The trio of politicians toured the 80,000-square foot warehouse being used as homebase for the center, the BMS South Building, and met with volunteers and officials throughout the center.
“What we’re seeing here is the part where government isn’t the entire answer, the people are the answer,” Lee said. “They are answering the call and it’s evident here. We are the volunteers in this state and the Volunteer spirit is alive and well. There’s also an American spirit here, just in a few minutes I walked through the line and talked to people from four or five states who were here to help. It’s inspiring.”
The governor said he visited the disaster center to see what the response should be from agencies and the government. He told News Channel 11 that he is working at a state level to meet the needs of people who have been affected by Hurricane Helene.
“I’m here to witness what the response should be from the agencies, the government, from to coordinate with Senator Blackburn, Congressman Harshbarger, to coordinate with the federal funding and the federal programming,” Lee added. “Make sure these folks represent us to D.C., which is a very important part of this process.”
BMS track president and general manager Jerry Caldwell said that immediately after the historic storms hit, he contacted Lee in Nashville to see if there was a way that the “Last Great Colosseum” could help.
“It’s amazing what we are able to do and the response we are able to give,” Caldwell explained. “Our friends and neighbors are here helping. We are blessed to have this facility that we can open up to help.”
U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty then stopped by the donation center at BMS on Oct. 11. Tennessee’s junior senator said he thinks the disaster relief center at BMS works well because of people in the private sector and their expertise. Since then, BMS has morphed into a makeshift Amazon fulfillment center, filled with donations from all 48 states in the contiguous U.S.
“I think you’ve got people from the private sector who actually know what they’re doing, and I’d like to see more of that expertise reside within the federal government,” Hagerty said to local media. “These people are centralized in the location that way we can take truckloads of goods that are coming in here. People are as generous as they possibly can be, from across the country, and I hope from across the world. But as that comes in, we’ve got private sector expertise that’s going to be good at distribution.”
Across the state line, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin made three visits to Southwest Virginia in the weeks after the storm, particularly the hard-hit town of Damascus near the Tennessee border. On one of those trips, he was accompanied by 2024 vice presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance.
“The grit, courage, and perseverance of Southwest Virginians will guide us through this difficult time,” Youngkin reiterated in Damascus. “There’s a lot of work ahead, but together, I know Southwest Virginia will rebuild stronger than ever. May God continue to be with everyone affected, and may we continue to uplift and support one another in this time of need.”
Rep. Morgan Griffith, State Sen. Todd Pillion and Del. Israel O’Quinn joined the governor to assess the damage caused by the hurricane and emphasize support to recovering communities.
Youngkin donated half of his fourth quarter salary to the United Way of Southwest Virginia Hurricane Relief Fund and the other half to the Virginia Cattlemen’s Foundation to help those impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Those events occurred Oct. 24 in Damascus and Meadowview, Va.
