Hurricane Ian

By Suzie O’Grady

For anyone living in Southwest Florida, September 28, 2022 is a day they will not soon forget. As winds and rains barreled in from the Gulf of Mexico, few knew what our beautiful area would look like in the aftermath of the monster category 4 Hurricane Ian. Our friends along the coast in the beautiful communities of Sanibel Island, Ft. Myers Beach, Iona, San Carlos Park and historic McGregor Boulevard were hit with some of the most severe devastation our area has seen since Hurricane Donna in 1960.

In the days immediately after the storm, like most, I took time to assess damage to my own home and damage to our beautiful campus. While the Bishop Verot campus did sustain some damage, it became clear within the first 24 hours that the focus of the Verot community must turn outward to those closest to us. Sadly, between our teaching staff and student families, there were more than 70 displaced families as the result of Ian. Members of our administration began to reach out to families to assess their immediate needs. In my many conversations with families who had lost nearly all their earthly possessions, what struck me most was their strong faith and their desire to help others. I spoke to many parents and students who lost so much, but simply wanted to know how they could help others. In response to the needs of our community, and the desire of so many to help others, in partnership with Mr. John Gulley, Principal at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, and Mr. David Nelson, principal at St. Andrew Catholic School, we opened Nevins Gymnasium as a distribution center for those in need. Not only did our own families come forward with donations, but others from across the State and Country sent supplies. We received truckloads of supplies from Cardinal Mooney High School and St. Mary and St. Martha Catholic Schools in Sarasota. We received a bus load of products from St. John the Evangelist in Naples. And we received donations from Bishop Verot alumni from around the state wanting to help their fellow Vikings. Catholic Schools from around Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, California and Alabama came forward in the weeks and months after the storm by sending gift cards and cash donations to help our families. While all of the supplies coming in from around the state and country were a true reflection of the loving spirit of the larger Catholic Community, I would be remiss not to recognize the gestures of our current Vikings who were desperate to help those in need. Hundreds of current students volunteered tirelessly in the days after Ian to clean up the homes of their teachers, their classmates, their neighbors and complete strangers. Our Vikings rolled up their sleeves and put on their work gloves to haul yard debris, rip out drywall and pack up valuables to help Southwest Florida during this dark time. To say I am proud of the sacrifices made by our amazing students would be an understatement. BV