LINVILLE, N.C. — Professional golfer and ECU alum Harold Varner III was on a trip with friends out of state when Helene hit North Carolina and the surrounding area last week.
A couple days after the storm hit Varner III started seeing pictures of the devastation on TV and social media. He was thinking of ways to help when a friend from Linville called.
“He (Brett Hoge) was like can you get some chainsaws; I was like yeah I can get some chainsaws,” Varner III said.
Hoge has been a longtime friend and mentor to Varner III and has lived in Linville most of his life. Varner III immediately called local partners, including James River Equipment in Monroe, NC, requesting all the chainsaws they had in stock.
The company prepped about a dozen chainsaws for use in the rescue efforts. Meanwhile, Harold’s wife Amanda was at home gathering water, diapers, and formula to contribute to the relief mission.
“I’m just trying to do as much as I can when you get a chance, I think it’s important to show up,” Varner III said.
He also contacted Ralph Dickson, a longtime friend and owner of several Napa Auto Parts stores in the Carolinas, to secure several generators.
Varner III and his HV3 team, including manager Trevor Wright, loaded up his truck and made the almost 5-hour drive to Linville to deliver supplies.
What Varner witnessed on the drive was worse than what he thought.
“You see roads destroyed, bridges destroyed, we saw a mudslide that took out a home just devastation,” Varner III said.
His team spent two days in the mountain community and even assisted by transporting other much-needed supplies in his truck.
“I wanted to do anything I could to help,” Varner III said.
The professional golfer plans to make more trips up to Linville and the surrounding area in the weeks to come and is also raising money for victims.
Varner III has spent a ton of time in the Linville area during the past 10 years and considers it a special place to him and his family.
“That place helped mold me into the man I am,” Varner III said.