Support Eric and Katie's Community Rebuild Effort

We first met Eric on a kayaking beer crawl. He was our Deadhead tour guide who you could tell had stories for days. We quickly became inseparable. Once the tour had ended, I asked Eric for any recommendations for a waterfall off the beaten path. Boy, did he deliver. Just so happens he's the guardian of the most beautiful falls in his very backyard. There's not even an address to access them; only a dropped pin and an ATV ride will grant you that. I'll never forget that day. We ended up extending our trip to eat quesadillas cooked by Eric himself in his outdoor kitchen and listen to his never-ending stories around a fire. We rang in the 4th of July the next day together and promised to return back soon. We were back only 3 months later to do it all again.

The way Eric and Katie opened their home up to us, it's heartbreaking that home is now completely flooded out and demolished. After days of trying to get in contact, I finally was able to reach Katie. They are leading rescue missions for neighbors on kayaks and paddle boards, still without water and power. The devastation to this area is more than catastrophic; it's biblical. I can't say more to the character of these people, who are a pillar to the community's backbone and survival. It has been made abundantly clear that we must rally together as people with a conscious to help Western NC rebuild. As someone who relies solely on tourism, my hope is these funds will alleviate the financial burden of being unable to work, so Eric can focus his time to help rebuild the community. His elderly parents also live directly next to him and have suffered the same flooding and damages. Thank you in advance to everyone who donates. It means the world to a community trying to rebuild and gives a glimmer of hope in such a dark world at the moment.