Fraternity
BY ASHLEY SZATALA
Brad Casanova, FURMAN 2003, has been helping his asheville community in numerous ways after hurricane helene and was assisted by glenn mcdaniel, FURMAN 1993
As the Category 4 Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Southern United States on Sept. 26, millions of people were either evacuating or hunkering down to weather the storm. Archetype Brewing owner Brad Casanova, FURMAN 2003, stayed put in Asheville, North Carolina, to make sure his family’s businesses, employees and tenants were OK while his wife and kids stayed at a friend’s rental house a few hours away.
“I’ve experienced several hurricanes in the mountains and thought I was prepared,” Casanova says. He could have never imagined the apocalyptic scene that would greet him the next morning.
Casanova tried to drive around the block. A two-minute drive took 30 minutes. Every other street was blocked by downed trees, power lines and flooding. One-by-one electricity, internet, cell service and faucets stopped working. The river was up 20 feet. Car accidents were a frequent sight without traffic lights for guidance. Cash was the only payment option, and the ATMs were empty. Gas stations ran dry. There were hours-long lines to get into grocery stores just to find empty shelves.
“The sensory aspect was pretty overwhelming. For weeks and weeks, the skies were filled with helicopters, and I was lucky to not hear sirens as I tried to shut out the stress of it all and sleep,” Casanova recalls. “The stench of chemicals, gasoline and death near the river would choke you up. After the mud dried, the dust was unbearable.”
Casanova immediately began helping neighbors and strangers in the community in any way he could, and he was later assisted by Glenn McDaniel, FURMAN 1993, who came up from Atlanta to help. For their efforts to assist the Asheville community, Casanova and McDaniel have been named this quarter’s Mark V. Anderson Character-in-ActionTM Leadership Award recipients.
‘NEEDS WERE CHANGING CONSTANTLY’
“When a disaster hits, everything changes, and there is no playbook. You just take it one moment at a time,” Casanova says. “But one undeniable fact was that we would all get through it better if we worked together and helped each other.”
Communication was the biggest issue after the storm hit, and people couldn’t reach loved ones to know if they were OK. Casanova posted on Facebook offering to do welfare checks. Several requests came in from friends and strangers, and he fortunately was able to locate everyone on his list. Some he still checks in on today.
“One check I did was for an elderly woman who lived alone. It was treacherous getting out to her, and I had to drive over at least a dozen downed power lines to reach her apartment. She didn't know me or know I was coming and was hesitant to open the door. After some conversation it was clear I was there to help,” Casanova says. “I made several subsequent trips to her to deliver food, water, ice, wet wipes and a battery-operated radio. Each time we parted ways with a hug.”
He also began helping get supplies to people who needed them. Casanova carried 5-gallon buckets of water up multiple flights of stairs so that people who couldn’t carry that weight could flush their toilets. He volunteered to move frozen water bottles to sites that had no access to ice, and he helped deliver donated goods to low-income housing communities where many couldn’t travel to the grocery store because their only mode of transportation are city buses, which weren’t running. Some vintage Sigma Chi coolers of his were donated to a mother who needed to keep her breast milk from going bad.
“Needs were changing constantly, and approaching every day like a Horizons (Huntsman Leadership Summit) team building challenge made it easier to get through it all,” Casanova says. “I helped neighbors understand how to drain their water heaters or turn water off to prevent debris from getting lodged in their pipes. I helped a stranger figure out if their medicine would last without refrigeration. I cut a tree off of a car so that the road could be passable. We opened our house to someone who didn't get power restored for weeks.”
He adds: “But for every one of these small acts of kindness or help, we were also the recipients of just as many acts of help, support and kindness. Generous friends and fellow Sigs from out of town were sending us boxes of survival supplies and food and offering a place to stay if we needed to get out of town for a break. Sometimes great things can be achieved by many small things done on a consistent basis. I was just a small part of a much larger and powerful movement.”
Hurricane Helene also did damage in the Atlanta area, and McDaniel posted on Facebook that he and his barbecue restaurant, McDaniel’s QN2, were giving away free breakfast to first responders. Casanova, who has known McDaniel for about 25 years since he was an undergraduate, jokingly asked if McDaniel delivers to Asheville. McDaniel immediately messaged Casanova asking how he could help, including bringing his barbecue to Asheville. It took about a week for both sides to coordinate, and on Sunday, Oct. 6, McDaniel drove north in a vehicle laden with enough food for 200 people and $3,000 in donations and supplies.
DELIVERING FOOD AND SUPPLIES
McDaniel served chopped barbecue pork, chicken, baked beans and coleslaw at Casanova’s brewery.
“(After arriving,) it was clear the community was massively devastated. Many hadn’t had a hot meal in a while, and man, they were so happy. Everyone who came just appreciated it so much,” McDaniel says. “And to do this was so easy. We just packed up the food, drove up, served it and left. It was no big deal for us to do this.”
But for Casanova and the Asheville community, the effect his generosity had was immense.
“Glenn is all heart, and his willingness to show up made a huge impact on me and my community. So many people were truly touched and grateful, not just for the food, but the visible reminder that we weren't alone and people from hours away heard us, saw us and were there to help,” Casanova says, adding that McDaniel’s act of giving inspired Casanova to work with a local restaurant to serve another free meal at Archetype. “Glenn's actions created a snowball effect by reminding us what we could accomplish with the resources we already had.”
Today, according to various reports, 12,000 residents are still displaced, and many are living in campers that have issues staying warm in extreme winter weather. About 40 percent of trees in the county were either damaged or downed, and of the 10 million cubic yards of debris created by Hurricane Helene, less than 10 percent of it has been removed.
“Asheville is as quirky as it is strong. Some residents put string lights on their sidewalk debris piles during the holidays just to lift spirits, but it's hard to take the visual state of things on a daily basis,” Casanova says, adding that continued support of the region will help in the area’s long-term recovery.
A person with good character shows trustworthiness, respect and fairness to others, as well as responsibility and citizenship. Those members who go out of their way to help others and those who overcome obstacles and lead with integrity are good candidates for the Mark V. Anderson Character-in-ActionTM Leadership Award.
Sigma Chi introduced the award to recognize the selfless acts of brothers. A formal recognition by the Fraternity allows non-members to appreciate the scope of the organization. For information about the award, see sigmachi.org/character.
