Scott County Sheriff's Reserve holds fundraiser for victims of Helene in Asheville, North Carolina (2024)

For four hours Sunday the Scott County Sheriff’s Reserve collected donations of cleaning supplies and cash that will be taken to Asheville, North Carolina, this week to help with cleanup efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

“One of our reserves thought we should send some cash from our reserve unit to North Carolina,” said Rich Aleksiejczyk, president of the Scott County Sheriff’s Reserve. “That snowballed into us looking for donations from local stores. Hy-Vee stepped up and told us to come out to one of their stores.”

Sheriff’s Reserve deputies were outside the Hy-Vee on 53rd Street and Utica Ridge in Davenport at 2 p.m. and were there until 6 p.m. The donations flowed in, Aleksiejczyk said.

Grocery baskets filled fast with toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, detergents and spray cleaners, as well as diapers and baby wipes.

The death toll from Helene reached 227 on Saturday as two more bodies were discovered in South Carolina. The Category 4 hurricane came ashore Sept. 26 in Florida and moved north from there, damaging or destroying homes and businesses and killing people in six states. About 115 of those killed were in North Carolina, while many others were killed in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia.

It is unknown how many people may still be missing.

Asheville is in the Blue Ridge Mountains that cover most of the western part of North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountains.

Asheville is in Buncombe County. The National Weather Service reported in its post-storm report that Helene caused historic flooding of streams, creeks, urban areas and mainstem rivers.

According to the National Weather Service, this was likely the most severe flooding in recorded history across Buncombe County. Widespread wind damage occurred on top of the floods. Trees and powerlines were downed, and at least 100 homes and businesses were flooded with many likely destroyed.

Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane said the Sheriff’s Reserve did more than people realize.

“There’s a reason why the Scott County Reserve was voted the best reserve in the world in 2023,” Lane said. “It’s because they’re so willing to be involved in the community and help where help is needed.

“And they don’t get paid when they’re on duty,” Lane said. “They literally volunteer for their community. They pay for equipment at their own expense, and they donate their time.”

Aleksiejczyk said they would load the supplies into two trucks and an enclosed trailer and head to Asheville on Wednesday. They hope to be back Friday night.

The Sheriff's Reserve will take donations from noon to 4 p.m. Monday at the Hy-Vee on East Kimberly Road in Davenport.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)