Local gym collects supplies for displaced student-athletes

ROANOKE, Va. ( WFXR ) — Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina was hit hard by Hurricane Helene, sustaining damage to campus buildings including several athletic facilities.

Ferrum College and Queens University of Charlotte both offered to house student-athletes through the remainder of the fall competition season.

Athletes from five teams arrived on Ferrum's campus on Sunday and will begin training in the school's athletic facilities on Monday.

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Their arrival will be greeted by boxes of donated comfort items collected by Duane and Denise Ellis of Roanoke.

Duane Ellis attended Lees-McRae and now owns Elite Health & Fitness while his wife Denise works with the United Way of Roanoke.

After Ferrum reached out to the United Way seeking donations for the displaced students, the two got together to think of a way to give back.

"We put a post up on my gym Facebook page and it just went from there," said Duane. "We went from having one box full of things to all of a sudden in a day and a half having eight or nine boxes full of stuff."

In addition to being familiar with the Banner Elk area, Duane said the situation also hit home because of his daughter now being a college student at James Madison University.

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"I couldn't imagine her uprooting one day and having to leave town with just the clothes on her back and a couple things in a bag, so those kids need stuff urgently," he said.

In addition to collecting items, the family also took in monetary donations which they used to buy additional supplies such as snacks, water, and blankets.