ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta Police Captain Jakai Braithwaite says it’s a heavy lift after the damage of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.
He knows someone who is living it. He met him over the summer at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.
“He’s a trooper with the North Carolina Highway Patrol. Lt. Craig Harris. Not only was he my classmate, we formed a bond of friendship. That’s why we’re here today,” Braithwaite told Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen.
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On Wednesday, Alpharetta police officers packed more than two dozen large cartons and loaded them into a 12-foot trailer, to be hauled north.
Trooper Harris serves and protects in an area devastated by Hurricane Helene.
He told his friend Braithwaite in Alpharetta that he needed help.
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“He said they’ve hit the ground running, and are trying to support and take care of our community. But yet, their own families are struggling,” the captain said. “There are a number of essential items that they just need.”
He’s talking about essential items like blankets, warm clothes, and diapers.
Alpharetta police provided all of that, plus a plush Minnie Mouse toy for one of the trooper’s young daughters.
“Our city employees of Alpharetta, our business community in Alpharetta, our residents. They answered that call. Our citizens stood up and they donated, they donated, and they donated,” the captain said.
The trailer full of supplies was hauled to Asheville, N.C. Thursday morning.
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