Fundraising efforts at ORNL will help support the victims of the March 3 tornadoes that struck Middle Tennessee. Credit: The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., March 25, 2020 – UT-Battelle, the managing contractor of Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy, and ORNL staff members have raised $15,000 to assist the victims of the tornadoes that struck Middle Tennessee on March 3.
In the aftermath of the devastating storms, ORNL employees coordinated a fundraising campaign through Team UT-Battelle, the lab’s employee-led service organization that supports staff members as they volunteer with nonprofits throughout the region.
“Many of our employees have direct connections to people who were severely impacted by the storms on March 3,” ORNL Community Relations Manager Wade Creswell said. “There was an immediate reaction from ORNL staff members to want to help the victims.”
The money will go to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which activated an emergency response fund to support affected communities and the nonprofit organizations helping victims address their ongoing needs.
“We hope that this contribution to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee will provide direct assistance to those who are in dire need,” Creswell continued.
For more information about making donations and requesting funds, visit the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s tornado response website at https://www.tornadoresponse.com.
UT-Battelle manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory for DOE’s Office of Science, the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE’s Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.