• Shelley Henderson

The Mayfield Community (and their Football Rivals) Rally to Help

Mayfield, KY (December 19, 2021)—Mayfield, Kentucky is a small town of a little over 10,000 people in southwest Kentucky. It’s a town where everyone is your neighbor, traditions run deep, and everyone knows how many football state championships the Mayfield High School Cardinals have won. (the answer is 9) After an EF4 tornado destroyed most of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods late in the evening on Friday, December 10, the town rallied around it's fallen.

Mayfield High School is on the east side of town. Early morning after the storm, school officials gathered at the school to plan how they could help their students and their town. A group began collecting and coordinating supplies in the school gym and before long, parents, students, school staff, and other community members showed up to help. Mitzi Stanley, volunteer director of social services for The Salvation Army’s Service Unit in Mayfield was there to give hotel vouchers to displaced people.

“The Salvation Army’s service in this community changed quickly – we are finding hotel rooms for people right now and will continue to find ways to help,” explained Mitzi.

Since day one, Mayfield High School students have been working at the school. Mitzi’s 11th-grade daughter Charli is part of the group serving. “We are here because it is part of our responsibility of being a student and part of this community. It is important to use our ability to help people,” explained Charli. “I love how the students and staff have been here working to make sure hope is restored to the people who are hurting. This is our town – this is Mayfield,” Mitzi added.

But it isn’t just the town that rallied around their neighbors in need. The Mayfield High School’s main football rival, the Beechwood Tigers, rallied around the town too. They reached out to the school and asked what was needed. Officials at Mayfield High School gave them a list of items. A family from Beechwood donated a semi-truck and trailer and the people of Beechwood filled it and delivered it to Mayfield. Football players from the rival teams worked side by side to unload the truck.

In the months to come, the town of Mayfield will continue to rally around its people. The Salvation Army will be there as it was before the storms hit, ready to serve.

You can help now by donating online at www.HelpSalvationArmy.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY and designating “KY Tornado Relief” with your gift.  Monetary donations will ensure The Salvation Army can meet the immediate needs of people impacted. The Salvation Army uses 100% of all disaster donations to support disaster relief.