Community rallies to replace items lost in Old Dock school fire

Add Us On GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT) - By the truckload and the armful, donations came in Friday to replace items lost in the blaze that destroyed Old Dock Elementary School's main building last week.

Parents and other volunteers stationed in the school's gym accepted classroom supplies, books and monetary gifts during the event called Pride at the Dock Day.

"That has got to probably be the most overwhelming feeling that I have ever experienced…the outpouring of support here and the encouragement and the support from this community," said Principal Ronna Gore.

Jennifer Boyd, whose children are third-generation Old Dock students, helped organize the event.

"It's like I explained to the kids, the memories are still there," Boyd said. "We lost the building, but the school's still here. The school is made up of the teachers and the students."

Boyd said she received emails and calls from people as far as New York and Florida who were interested in helping.

Somer Lewis, who works at UNCW's Watson College of Education, drove from Wilmington to deliver donations collected from colleagues and students.

"My background is that I'm a teacher and I've had a classroom and probably thousands of students," Lewis said. "And when I saw the news story on Old Dock, I knew right away that I wanted to do something in order to help support these teachers."

Volunteers will accept donations at the school Monday, Jan. 19, from 8 a.m. until noon.