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Raleigh businessman collecting donations for flood ravaged home state

As the National Guard, Red Cross and others step up to help after floodwaters destroyed areas of Louisiana, many in the Triangle who have a special bond with the area are also offering help.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — As the National Guard, Red Cross and others step up to help after floodwaters destroyed areas of Louisiana, many in the Triangle who have a special bond with the area are also offering help.

Local business owner Chad McIntyre has been collecting items to take to Louisiana at his Raleigh warehouse. Born and raised in Baton Rouge, he calls himself a “native son,” so he felt he had to step forward.

McIntyre is teaming up with a handful of other local businesses, restaurants and breweries throughout Wake County to collect items through Saturday. He is asking for a few clothing items, but said the main goal is to help with the cleanup efforts.

Donations of trash bags, work gloves, cleaning solutions and disposable dust masks are most needed.

"I'm from West Virginia originally and I used to be in the National Guard there and I worked flood duty and floods are horrible. You lose your property. Everything is dirty; everything is wet," said Drew Schenck owner of Rally Point Sports Grill which has partnered with McIntyre to collect necessary items. "Sometimes there's ways to help that are out of our reach. Not everybody can get down to Haiti to build schools, but just about everybody can get some toilet paper, some toothpaste."

McIntyre began the collection Tuesday and has already received several boxes full of donations.

“This isn’t a race thing, this isn’t a religious thing; there are no political lines. This is right and wrong. You help somebody out because, who knows, when the other shoe falls you may be that person who needs help,” he said.

McIntyre said much of his family still lives in Louisiana and they’ve been impacted by the flooding. Despite their distress, they’re already planning to help him distribute some of the donated items and help him cook a 20-gallon pot of Jambalaya when he arrives in the state this weekend.

"My mom lives in Watson right now. My in-laws live in Baton rouge, close to the central line and so everybody was affected," he said.

Donations are being accepted until Saturday at the following locations:

  • McIntyre's warehouse at 517 West Cabarrus Street in Raleigh
  • Dram and Draught at 623 Hillsborough Street in Raleigh
  • Rally Point Sports Grill at 1837 N. Harrison Avenue in Cary
  • House of Hops at 6909 Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh
  • BREW Coffee Bar at 111 Seaboard Avenue in Raleigh
  • Person Street Pharmacy at 702 N. Person Street
  • House of Swank at 315 S. Bloodworth Street in Raleigh
  • Compass rose Brewery at 3201 Northside Drive in Raleigh

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