Fleet Farm announced $175,000 in relief support for Fox Cities communities hit by the July 27 tornado, which according to the National Weather Service, was the strongest tornado to hit Outagamie and Winnebago counties since 1984.
The commitment includes funds raised from Fleet Farm vendor partners for Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity’s tornado rebuilding effort.
The EF-3 tornado carried winds between 136 and 155 mph through Menasha, Neenah, Fox Crossing, Grand Chute and Appleton. The storm caused significant damage within a quarter mile of Fleet Farm’s Store Support Center.
“This one hits home. Our Store Support Center sits close to the neighborhoods that took the worst of this storm, and we watched our neighbors lose roofs, fences and, in some cases, their whole home,” said Nick Widi, president of Fleet Farm. “Fleet Farm’s vendor partners are proud to give $175,000 to Habitat for Humanity’s Rock the Block 100 effort. I want to thank our vendor partners who stepped up fast to support this cause. That kind of partnership is what makes the Midwest different, and we’re grateful for it.”
The $175,000 raised from Fleet Farm and its vendor partners is part of the $3 million committed by local businesses to Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity’s Tornado Rock the Block 100 campaign.
The program aims to repair and winterize 100 tornado-damaged homes within 100 days, replacing roofs, windows, doors and exterior damage before winter arrives. It is the largest project Fox Cities Habitat has taken on in more than 30 years, and it is built on the blueprint of the organization’s first Rock the Block 100 campaign in Menasha six years ago.
