Fair, sheriff’s office organize hurricane relief effort

Sheriff Michelle Cook and fair Executive Director Tasha Hyder organized the effort, which, in addition to accepting donations of supplies from individuals at the fairgrounds, is also accepting Amazcon.com deliveries and cash donations made through the Venmo app.

“We have direct points of contact for needs in southwest Florida,” Cook said in a social media video, “and so the items that are donated are already pre-arranged to go somewhere.”

The pair said they are not accepting clothing or furniture but are taking items like pet food, gardening tools, trash bags, five-gallon buckets, batteries, and Gatorade.

Cook said the drive-through operation involves no work for donors dropping off supplies, and she and Hyder hope to send two trucks to southwest Florida later this week.