Robin Roberts Visits Western North Carolina With A Major Gift And A Powerful Message
'I got there and I realized there's no way I can go on the air unless I find my family first,' she told Southern Living. 'I fortunately was able to find my mother with the help of a police officer and get to her home. The roof was damaged, but it was standing. And I get into the house and Mama's just in the back singing 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus.' She was oblivious to what was going on in the world and just happy.'
After being encouraged by her mother and sister to return to work, she made it back to the live shot with her colleagues Charlie Gibson and Diane Sawyer in the nick of time. 'It was Charlie who said, 'Robin, when you left here, you hadn't made contact with your family. Were you able to?' And the floodgates just opened. I just started bawling live on national television. I knew that people were tuning in that morning not knowing about their loved ones. And I knew what that felt like because that had been me.'
Roberts remembered that feeling of helplessness when she was covering Hurricane Helene, which devastated much of Western North Carolina on September 27, 2024. As someone who has covered hurricanes as a reporter far too often, she understands the emotional toll they can take. She also knows how important it is to support impacted communities long after the news cycle has passed. Hurricane Helene caused an estimated $60 billion in damage to Western North Carolina. That's why she and the GMA crew are checking in with local businesses and residents to see what they need.
On the GMA special, 'Asheville Rising,' one of those businesses was Highland Brewing, often named one of the best breweries in the South. The 31-year-old brewery avoided flooding because it sits on a hill, but its business ground to a halt due to the loss of its water supply for two months. That didn't stop the company from becoming a distribution hub for food and supplies and a gathering place for the community. 'If it seemed possible, we said yes,' said Leah Wong, President and CEO of Highland Brewing. 'We had nine different communities here at one time.' Beloved Asheville is still operating out of the brewery.
Now, six months later, tourism is down around 40 percent. 'We still have areas in our communities that are enduring huge losses,' she told Southern Living. 'Some are still desperate to fill their basic needs while others are focused on survival of their businesses.'
To do their part, Highland Brewing has just released a new beer called Highland Haze, a Hazy IPA that's only available on draft. For six months, every time they sell a keg, a portion of the proceeds goes to the NC Hospitality Workers Relief Fund, which supports local restaurants, the backbone of the economy. 'We are surrounded by heroes,' Wong told Southern Living. 'I want people to know that we have so much to offer but we still have a long way to go.'
On "Good Morning America," which was broadcast live from Highland Brewing Company, Robin Roberts announced a $3 million in donations to the community from a range of corporate sponsors. Her message to viewers is a rallying cry. 'Asheville is rising, they're open for business. This is what I want people to know,' she told Southern Living. 'They rely on tourism. And there are people who feel that. It really is showing people how they can be of assistance. I want people to know that there are things that can be done to help these communities rebuild and be what they once were—or even better.'
'It's so important for them to know that they're not forgotten,' she said.
Read the original article on Southern Living
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