Paying it forward one cooler at a time

Orange Beach schools organizing relief effort

Posted

As Hurricane Ida made landfall in Coastal Louisiana, the Orange Beach Middle and High School PTO started working on a plan to help those in Ida’s devastating path and knew just the organization to help.

Comeback Coolers arrived in Coastal Alabama shortly after Hurricane Sally left a path of destruction and flooded homes. The Mississippi-based organization delivered ice-packed coolers full of drinks, beer, fruit, snacks and wet wipes to residents picking up what was left of their lives.

The coolers were decorated with inspirational messages, Bible verses and art and were delivered with a smile and a hug from a stranger. The group prepared and delivered 369 coolers to Hurricane Sally survivors in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Dauphin Island.

Now those Baldwin County communities are looking to pay the kindness forward.

“Comeback Coolers was a huge blessing to our community last year and we want to help them give back to the folks in Louisiana,” said Orange Beach resident and Comeback Cooler recipient Rebecca Wilson.

The Orange Beach Middle and High School PTO is asking residents in the community to bring a new or used (must be clean and no Styrofoam coolers) cooler and supplies (see list below) to the Orange Beach Recreation Center Monday, Aug. 30 at 2 p.m. The coolers will be decorated and packed and sent to the Comeback Coolers’ warehouse in Ocean Springs, Miss. Decorated and filled coolers can also be dropped off at the Wilson’s home located at 27304 Marina Road  in Orange Beach by 9 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 2.

Cooler supplies:

  • Bottled water
  • Sports drinks
  • Soda
  • Diet Soda
  • Flavored sparkling water
  • Bottled juice
  • Beer
  • Wet wipes

If you would like to sponsor a cooler or make a monetary donation for gas, ice or travel expenses, please consider donating via Comeback Coolers’ PayPal (comebackcoolers@gmail.com). One adult cooler with beer costs about $100 to supply, pack and deliver. 

For more information about Comeback Cooler visit www.comebackcoolers.com or visit their Comeback Cooler Facebook page.