Mercer staffers help to clear fallen trees from Nancy Crosby's home during the clean-up day for Mercer staff members following the Mother's day tornadoes that hit Middle Georgia.
More than 75 Mercer faculty and staff members came out to offer a hand to other staffers and their families following the Mother’s Day tornadoes that ripped through Middle Georgia, causing more than $100 million in damage. A number of homes owned by Mercer staffers in western Macon and Lizella were damaged.
President Underwood gave the Mercerians who helped the afternoon off on Friday, May 16, to help in the cleanup efforts, and groups of staffers descended on five homes either owned by Mercer staffers or their families.
In addition to the helping hands, Mercer’s Macon Staff Council voted to abandon plans for a staff picnic scheduled for May 16 and instead donated the money to the Salvation Army, $4,000 in all, including the funds for MERC’s staff picnic. The staff there also decided to cancel its picnic and donate the picnic funds to the Salvation Army.
The staff members’ homes that were damaged and received help from the Mercer crews were Kim Adams, Jay Bonney, Nancy Crosby and Marsha Ward. Mercer staffers also helped cleanup efforts at the home of Ernest Cubbage, whose daughter, Ernestine, works at Mercer.
On May 16, Lisa Bonney, Jay’s wife and marketing manager at Aramark, surveyed the damage as she and a number of volunteers worked to clear out their backyard. The couple was blessed to be OK following the storm, several trees hit their house, damaging their bedroom and destroying their deck. The efforts of the volunteers were greatly appreciated Bonney said.
“It just touches your heart,” she said.
Aramark also provided lunch for the event.
A list of all those who volunteered on May 16:
Volunteers
Aaron James (Seline's son)
Alan Baca
Annie Stephens
April Lewis
Arlette Copeland (Staff Council photographer)
Arthur Coleman
Barbara Short
Ben Edwards
Beth Agwayaway, Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary President's Office (Susan Broome's guest)
Beth Evans
Candace Whaley
Carol Burrowbridge
Cathy Groce
Cliff Brown
Dan Fischer
Daniel Hagan
David Varnum
Deena Wallace
Denise Rogers
Derek Hart
Diane Baca
Diane Lang
Donald Ekong
Gail A. Chapman
Gretta Maynard
Heather Bowman Cutway
Jarrett James (Seline's son)
Jay Bonney
Jay Pendleton
Jill Vanderhoek
Jim Schortinghouse
Jordan Melville
Josh Shepherd
Julie Hodges
Julie Strecker
Karen Bonney
Katie E. Bond
Katie Wells (MUSM Student)
Ken Boyer
Kenny Welborn
Kevin Hatfield
Kim Christie
Kim Gibbs
Krista Wieters
Leora Juster (Mercer graduate student)
Lisa Bonney
Lisa Snow
Maria Gilmore
Mark Vanderhoek
Mary W. Mathis
Mickey Belote
Nancy St. John
Pat Judd
Regina Decapite
Renea Corley
Renee Thigpen
Ricardo McLin
Rod Holmes
Seline James
Susan Broome
Theresa Crowley
Tina Phillips
Tom Melville
Tracey Wofford
Valerie Reed
Vladimir Mayorov
