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Ole Miss Athletics Assists Smithville Community
SMITHVILLE,
Miss. – After collecting household goods over the last two
weekends, Ole Miss Athletics personnel hand-delivered a substantial
load of items to the Smithville community as part of the Rebel Relief
Project on Tuesday.
More than 25 Ole Miss representatives joined forces with the United Way
of Monroe County and citizens of Smithville and the surrounding areas
to unload the Rebels’ 18-wheel equipment truck and another
University van that were loaded with donated items.
The large group of helpers unloaded the vehicles in quick fashion. It
took roughly two hours to get boxes of items from the truck to
categorized areas within a large warehouse that the United Way has been
using to collect donated goods from throughout the state of Mississippi
for the tornado-stricken area.
“It’s a great day to be able to give back and help
others,” said Ole Miss Senior Executive Associate Athletics
Director John Hartwell, one of the many volunteers. “Obviously,
the folks of Smithville have gone through a lot. Just to be able to
provide a very small bit of help to them in their recovery effort is
great. The people here have been so nice and so appreciate.”
The Rebel Relief Project began collecting items at the Oxford Walmart
on July 10 and then again at the Ole Miss Ladies’ Football Forum
on July 16, filling up the entire 18-wheel equipment truck in the
process. The project has been coordinated by Chyna Ward-Poley and
assisted by the efforts of the Ladies’ Forum.
“There’s nothing like giving,” said Rebel football
coach Houston Nutt, another of the volunteers. “I’m just
really proud of Ole Miss. Chyna did a good job of getting this thing
kick-started, and everybody has jumped on. It’s about giving
every day. Our players will learn a valuable lesson. There’s
nothing like having that heart and that spirit of giving and always
trying to lift somebody up, whether it’s a tornado victim or just
anybody that’s sick or not as well off as you. You’re just
always trying to make a difference.
“It was unbelievable to see how many from our athletics
department were here and how many people from Smithville and
surrounding counties were here,” Ward-Poley said. “Driving
through and seeing the devastation was kind of overwhelming.
There’s so much help that they need, but at least we’re
here today to help. I really hope Rebel Relief (continues to exist). It
doesn’t have to be some kind of disaster. I hope that we’ll
be able to seek out people that need help instead of waiting for
something like this to happen.”
“It brings you back to reality,” said Ole Miss Associate
Athletics Director Jamil Northcutt, another volunteer. “Sometimes
we get distracted and caught up in our everyday lives, and we
don’t realize what really matters – our family, friends and
helping other people. It was good to talk with the people of this
community and to have a chance to give of our time and our sweat to
help them out.”
“United Way has been operating this warehouse since the day after
the tornado, and God has put so many great folks in our path,”
said Patti Parker, executive director of the United Way in Monroe
County. “We’re just amazed at the amount of stuff that
Rebel Relief was able to send our way. It’s been absolutely
fantastic for our community.”
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