Power-Pole, community come together for hurricane relief drive

TAMPA — JL Marine Inc., makers of the Power-Pole Shallow Water Anchor, opened its doors as a donation hub for victims of Hurricane Dorian. The goal was to fill a boat with emergency supplies that would be transported to those in need in the Bahamas.

We needed a bigger boat.

And our fleet of company trucks.

And a couple of trailers as well.

After the Category 4 storm battered the Bahamian Islands for over 48 straight hours, Power-Pole spread the word through local media and across various social media platforms that it would be spearheading a campaign to collect supplies for the battered keys. The response from the Tampa Bay community was overwhelming.

Power-Pole collected enough supplies for seven truckloads, which were spread across various agencies headed to the island nation.

“I did not know what to expect when we opened our doors as a collection center for Hurricane Dorian relief,” said national sales manager Dan Benson, who helped coordinate the campaign.  “The amount of supplies like water, tents, tarps, batteries, food, even roofing shingles was amazing.  I’m glad we could help out in a time of need.”

Emergency supplies, including batteries, generators, and cell phone and USB charging devices, were distributed to SOL Relief where they were immediately delivered by planes. The remaining supplies, including non-perishable food, water and camping gear, was divided between Boricuas de Corazon Inc. and Relief for the Bahamas where it will be shipped via barge.

The donation drive was the first official initiative of the Power-Pole Community Action Service Team Network (CASTnet) which was established earlier this year to provide community outreach and conservation efforts.

More media coverage:

Spared by Dorian, Tampa Bay area rallies to help Bahamas with hurricane relief

Tampa Bay organizations helping victims of Hurricane Dorian

Tampa Bay businesses gear up to bring relief to Bahamas after Dorian devastation