Local businesses, former WKU players collect donations for eastern Kentucky

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-Eastern Kentucky is still hurting. 

“The need is massive. There’s not even numbers to calculate what that is yet,” said Gasper Brewing owner Isaiah King. 

King has banded together with other local businesses to raise funds for the Eastern Kentucky flooding devastation. A portion of sales, as well as any monetary donations, will go to a relief fund. 

“Another way to give back to an area that potentially needs more help than we did,” said King. 

After surviving the deadly December tornadoes here in south central Kentucky… King says he can’t imagine not helping eastern Kentucky. 

“When I woke up the other morning and saw the news on the TV it made me think back to December and the devastation here in the area and how many people all over reached out and we had people as far as Washington,” said King. 

News of the catastrophic flooding is motivating many people to help… including a former Hilltopper basketball star. 

“Pretty much anything you can think of will help,” said Justin Johnson. 

Johnson, who now plays professional basketball in Germany, is filling a box truck with donations from our community before driving it to eastern Kentucky. 

“Toiletry items, water, because the water towers are going to be out for 2-3 weeks so drinking water, they say baby items like diapers from diapers to wipes and everything like that is a scarcity there,” said Johnson. 

He’s especially passionate about helping eastern Kentucky because his basketball career began in Hazard, Kentucky… where he spent a couple of years in high school.

“Those people are the best hearted people I’ve ever met in my entire life. and I think I owe it to them, you know, living there for two years and being from the eastern part of the state to give back and do my part,” said Johnson. 

Johnson will be set up at Crossland Church on Fairview Monday night from 4 to 8 p.m. and Tuesday from 8 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. if you want to donate.