Food City Collects Over $106,000 to Aid Hurley, VA Flood Victims

Buchanan County Supervisor Trey Adkins, Food City President and CEO Steve Smith, WCYB-TV General Sales Manager Ginger Lawson and United Way of Southwest Virginia President and CEO Travis Staton

Abingdon, VA (September 23, 2021) – Food City today presented a check for more than $106,000 to United Way of Southwest Virginia’s Disaster Relief Fund for Hurley, VA. The funds will benefit victims of the Aug. 30 floods in the Buchanan County town. The presentation took place at the community center in Hurley where citizens have gone to receive donated goods – many donated by Food City and its vendors – over the last three weeks.

“We gave our customers an opportunity to step up, and step up they did – and many of our vendors did as well,” said Steve Smith, Food City president and CEO. So today we’re proud to be able to present a check for over $106,000 to United Way of Southwest Virginia for this disaster relief fund.”

In early September, Food City joined United Way of Southwest Virginia and WCYB-TV to host a fundraising campaign to benefit flood relief efforts. Customers wishing to participate were given the opportunity to make a monetary donation at the checkouts of participating Food City locations in the Tri-Cities, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky. Food City pledged a $10,000 contribution to kick off the drive.

Food City President and CEO Steve Smith

“We would like to thank our loyal customers and our dedicated team of associates and vendor partners for their extreme generosity and the tremendous outpouring in support of our friends in Hurley, VA during this tremendous time of need,” Smith said. “We are so blessed and appreciative to be a part of such a caring and compassionate region.”

The Disaster Relief Fund for Hurley, VA was instituted by United Way of Southwest Virginia and will be administered by a Long-Term Recovery Group in which United Way, local officials and local community organizations will work together. One hundred percent of the funds raised will benefit the citizens of Hurley.

“United Way of Southwest Virginia – Travis Staton and his fine group – has been named fiscal agent in charge of the long-term recovery by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management,” Smith said. “I think that’s a great thing because I know Travis is no stranger to helping people, having watched him in the Glade Spring tornado situation and having seen him in other tough situations.”

United Way of Southwest Virginia President and CEO Travis Staton

Staton, president and CEO of United Way of Southwest Virginia, then thanked Food City for its generosity on behalf of the citizens of Hurley, saying, “I want to say thank you not only to Steve, but to Food City’s associates and shoppers. These funds came from Southwest Virginia. They came from other neighboring states too as part of Food City’s network of stores. People in our region care for one another and contribute and give back to one another.”

“Through my experience in disaster recovery, I can tell you we have our work cut out for us,” Staton said. “But what I know is that in this region we are resilient and we work together better than anyone else. We will sit at a common table and figure out how to best collaborate and bring resources to bear to help these families put their lives back on track.”