30-Day Challenge: Collect 30 Items To Aid Florida Irma Victims

COURT HOUSE – County residents are again responding to an urgent call to help others as a 30-day challenge to collect as many of 30 specific items is underway for those affected by Hurricane Irma in Florida.
Calling themselves Cape May County Community Unity Team, Kevin Celli, Haroula Karavangelos Rotondi, John Lynch and John Davis have called on over 50 local businesses to act as drop-off sites for donors to leave any of 30 identified items for Floridians. 
“It’s exploded really quickly,” said Celli, farm director and winemaker at Willow Creek Winery, West Cape May. “We just decided to do this, and already through only social media we’ve had a fabulous response.”
Rotondi, Lynch, Davis, and Celli have known each other for over 10 years, and as they watched the news about Hurricane Irma, they knew they had to do something. One contacted the other, and the four knew they had to help.
“We did a collection across the county when Hurricane Sandy hit,” Celli noted, “and hundreds of people donated items and businesses across the county helped collect items. We first took care of our own residents, and then we sent several trucks and tractor trailers up to Hoboken with items, so we knew what had to be done for those impacted by Irma.”
Lynch started the Lunch with Lynch Foundation, Wildwood, a non-for-profit entity that helps facilitate the learning experiences for the children of the Wildwoods through educational opportunities in and out of the classroom environment. 
As a 501(c)(3) organization, it is through that organization that monetary donations for the hurricane victims can be made (https://www.lunchwithlynch.com/irma).
The organization will also be instrumental in arranging for shipment of the items to Florida.
Any funds left over will be donated to a Florida school in need to distribute as they deem appropriate, Celli said.
“Any trucking company that wants to help with donating a truck or reducing shipping rates, we are looking for their help,” Celli said.
Rotondi is the business owner of the original Hot Spot Restaurant on the Wildwood Boardwalk and the “local super-mom-basketball coach and anything-and-everything-to-do with all the schools in our county,” Celli said.
Collections may also occur through various schools in the county.
Davis is a retired sergeant with the Wildwood Police Department. He heads planning enforcement and development throughout Wildwood.
Lynch and Davis also are both volunteer firefighters, who arranged for Wildwood’s Pine Avenue firehouse, to be used as the main collection/warehouse site.
Because of their efforts to help Hurricane Sandy victims, the foursome already had some structure in place and knew what needed to be done to get this effort started.
Within hours, businesses across the county responded to being collection sites. Some businesses are offering discounts and give-away contests for donors.
Firefighters who were in Wildwood for the weekend’s convention also donated items, Celli noted.
“We are also looking for volunteers,” Celli said. “They can help us pick up items, work in the warehouse boxing items up, going to Florida, or just helping with the organization of it all.”
Anyone interested in helping organize and pack the items should either email the team at njwineguy77@gmail.com with “HELP ON THE WAY” in the subject or go to the Pine Ave. Fire Hall, Wildwood, Tuesdays, and Thursdays 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. The website https://www.lunchwithlynch.com/irma also has information about the relief effort.
A meet-and-greet for all drop-off businesses and volunteers is scheduled 6 – 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21, at the Pine Ave. Firehouse, across from Wawa (behind the bank on the corner of Pine and New Jersey Avenue).
Organizers will be distributing posters, schedule pickups, drop-offs and discuss volunteer responsibilities.
The items will be delivered and shipped to Florida the week of Oct. 16. Celli said they are working now with Florida officials to identify the neediest areas and ensure they are ready to receive the items.
“We learned when we delivered items in Hoboken that the community has to have a place to store the items and a way to get them to people, so we need to make sure the Florida communities are ready for us,” he noted.
As people sign up to volunteer and businesses agree to participate, Celli said they plan to establish a database for future uses.
“We know that the people of Cape May County realize this could be us,” he said about the hurricane victims. “The devastation is something many of us have experienced and seen. The need for helping others is something that our community responds to because we know how the ocean and seas can destroy.
“We are just providing the structure,” he said about the team. “It’s everyone helping that makes this a success. If someone can only donate one item, that’s OK. If they can’t donate but want to help, that’s OK. If they share the word through social media, that’s OK. It’s everyone helping us all be successful.”
For list of drop-off sites, click here.
For list of items, click here.
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.