Beech Tree News Network

Over 65 school buses from Eastern Kentucky arrive in Butler County; education complex serving as storage and distribution center.

Scores of community volunteers spent a full day Monday and efforts continued Tuesday as over 65 filled school buses were unloaded at the Butler County Education Complex in Morgantown.  The buses were filled with a wide array of supplies heading to Western Kentucky to aid victims of the December 10 tornado and storms that ripped through much of the region.

Sam Howard, founder and CEO of Trace Creek Construction, along with local school superintendents, GRREC (Green River Regional Educational Cooperative) and various county elected officials helped to organize the relief efforts.  The Butler County Education Complex is serving as a storage and distribution center for supplies.  A Morgantown Bank and Trust building, the Butler County Extension Office and the Butler County Recycling Center are also housing supplies.  

GRREC locally organized and will continue to sort through and distribute items.

From Butler County, sports teams, 4H groups, private schools, local businesses, school personnel, and many from the community helped unload and sort items.

Items collected were clothes, toys, food, water, toilet paper, books, etc.

Woodford County brought multiple buses and a bus load of FFA Chapter students worked for several hours.  

Woodford, Jessamine, Magoffin, Martin, Floyd, Carter, Johnson, Boyd, Letcher and Rowan counties were a few of the over 30 school districts that collected and sent donated supplies. 

We’ve just got a great state and we’ve got a great community and it’s a team effort across the state. I think of 'United We Stand and Divided We Fall,' - that’s the motto of Kentucky and we have seen here this last week and a half or so of how people really, truly come together in times of need," said Butler County Schools' Superintendent Robert Tuck.  "We just want to help and we’re glad that we can play our little part in helping those that lost so much."

"I have never been more proud to say I’m from Butler County," said Chase Goff, who helped organize the event for GRREC.  What a community.  I'm grateful for Tim Flener, Scott Howard, Robert Tuck, and every person that spent time unloading buses today.  Tired legs but a full heart."

'It was just almost like it was an answered prayer for all of us. I don’t mean to get emotional, but, you know, you look around today and you look at our community and how it’s come together and it just speaks volumes and I’m just so proud to be part of it, just a little part," said Butler County Judge/Executive Tim Flener.  "They’ve done all the work and we’ve just been here and trying to help all we can."