AUGUSTA, GA - It has been a month since Hurricane Helene's devastation, and there is still much work to be done in the ongoing cleanup. Recently, several athletes stepped up to assist with another effort.

The home of Judi Wilson, PhD, dean of the Augusta University College of Education and Human Development, sustained significant damage from the storm. Head softball coach Melissa Brocato reached out to Greg Wilson to ask if they needed help with anything. While a lot of the big work had already been done, there were other things they could use some help with. AU student-athletes were ready and willing to step up.  

Besides Brocato, softball player Bailee Roberts, volunteer softball coach Brooke Stephens, former player Lauren Evens, baseball players J. Ben Haynes and Mike Morrison, along with Caine Varnell of the track team, all went over to the Wilson house to do what they could. 

"I reached out to some of our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee members and Fellowship of Christian Athlete members to see who might be around and willing to help. I was proud of these students and athletes who truly volunteered their Saturday morning to help. Dr. Wilson is always so great about bragging on and supporting the student-athletes in her college and I knew she and Greg would genuinely be encouraged. "Those who refresh other will themselves be refreshed." That's what Greg and Judi do for so many and we just wanted to give a little be of that back to them," said Brocato.  

Baseball players Ty McClintok, Riley Akins, Griffin Stewart, Caleb Jatko, Eli Overstreet, and Jackson Thomas have also helped with debris cleanup in their neighborhoods as the Augusta area slowly recovers from the storm.