Smoke rises from destroyed homes, many burned down to the foundation, the day after a wildfire hit Gatlinburg Nov. 29. The fires in Gatlinburg ultimately spread to over 17,000 acres and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.After a short-notice message from Pastor Alan Rogers asking for donations to aid the Gatlinburg community in the wake of wildfires that destroyed homes, businesses and claimed lives, members of New Salem Baptist Church in Soddy-Daisy came together and donated a pickup truck’s worth of supplies.
The call originally came from church member Keith Fridell, who recently spent nearly a year in Sevier County helping to build the Sevier County Nursing Home. While living in the area, he attended Sevierville Second Baptist Church, which, like New Salem, is part of the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Fridell said he’d become close with the congregation, and after seeing the news reports of the wildfires’ widespread destruction – the damage is estimated at more than $500 million – he set about coming up with ways he could help.
“My wife is the one who thought to contact Alan [Rogers],” said Fridell. “We’re just glad our church has got such good people and a pastor that wants to help. It’s just what we do.”
A simple post on the New Salem Facebook page one Thursday night led to church and community members bringing cases of bottled water, blankets, diapers and boxes of used clothing for Fridell to drive up to Sevierville and donate the following Saturday afternoon.
Fridell said the timing was fortunate; New Salem’s annual Breakfast with Santa event was that Saturday morning. Since much of the congregation was brought together for the event, he believed it contributed to how much he was able to help collect.