[Cary, NC] - On Tuesday, December 17, Wake Forest University played against James Madison University in Men's Basketball. Between the action-packed plays, United Way of North Carolina President and CEO, Brittany Pruitt Fletcher, stepped onto the court with Wake Forest University President, Dr. Susan R. Wente.
While Brittany's a fan of college sports, she was in attendance for an additional reason. Dr. Wente invited Brittany to represent UWNC and the Governor's Office, presenting her with an impressively sized check made out to the NC Disaster Relief Fund. This is Governor Cooper's fund that is co-managed by United Way of North Carolina, put into effect when Hurricane Helene hit North Carolina on September 27, 2024.
Since Hurricane Helene demolished parts of our beautiful state and left some residents and businesses without anything to salvage, the Wake Forest University Athletics Department began raising money in efforts to provide some assistance to those in need of rebuilding and getting their lives back on track.
The donation amount came to $48,335.28, which will go directly into the NC Disaster Relief Fund. From there, eligible non-profits can apply for $10,000 grants from this fund to put toward Hurricane Helene relief. You can learn more about this process by visiting this page.
Dr. Susan R. Wente, President of Wake Forest University (left) and Brittany Pruitt Fletcher, President and CEO of United Way of North Carolina (right).
United Way of North Carolina extends our utmost gratitude for the generosity and dedication of the students and employees of Wake Forest University who raised this money to benefit western North Carolina. To be able to help North Carolinians gain resources to help them thrive in life is one of UWNC's main priorities, and we're so grateful to Wake Forest University's Athletics Department for spearheading this fundraising and joining us in helping western North Carolina recover.
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About United Way of North Carolina
United Way mobilizes communities to action so all can thrive. For almost 50 years, United Way of North Carolina (UWNC) has been a statewide organization, partnering with 47 local United Ways to co-create solutions to people’s most pressing challenges. We take a comprehensive approach, listening and responding to statewide needs, including but not limited to, strengthening local resilience and advancing health, youth opportunity, and financial security in our state. UWNC bridges and mobilizes people, local United Ways, and resources so individuals, families, and communities thrive in North Carolina. We are committed to four core areas of work: Member Services, NC 211, Disaster Response, and Advocacy.