TAMPA, FLA.- — The Tampa Bay community is helping victims of Hurricane Ida in Louisiana.
Terri Sherman, General Manager at Salty Shamrock in Apollo Beach, has been collecting donations for hurricane victims for the past few days.
People may drop off donations from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Sherman said they plan to drive a truck to Louisiana this weekend.
She said people dropped off dog food, baby diapers, generators, and other supplies. She said a young boy even dropped off a teddy bear thinking a child in Louisiana may need it more.
Sherman's son and daughter-in-law, Victoria Bengtson, lives in Gonzales, Louisiana.
Bengtson said they have roof damage to their house and debris is everywhere. She said it is difficult to get food and gasoline.
"We need gas, we need propane, we need meat, baby food, pet food, all the above is what we need," she said.
"Everybody is in line for gas, but our line for gas is about a mile each way, you know, like a line going into Disney World is what my husband said."
Rooftop bars at three Tampa Bay hotels will be donating a portion of its proceeds Thursday evening to help hurricane victims. The money will be donated to the American Red Cross.
"We’ve had our experience with hurricanes so we decided to take our three rooftop bars at the Epicurean, the Fenway and the Karol Hotel and donate 50% of the proceeds tomorrow night to the American Red Cross to help out with what is going on in New Orleans," said Joe Collier, President of Mainsail Lodging and Development.
Below are the hotels participating in Thursday's fundraiser:
- Epicurean Hotel (EDGE): 5 p.m. to midnight
- Fenway Hotel (Hi-Fi): 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- The Karol Hotel (Vantage): 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
