Dec. 2024 Raleigh Water Employee Newsletter

Contributed by: Kimberly Holmes - Iverson

We're incredibly proud of Michael Carpenter , a dedicated Raleigh Water employee, for his inspiring initiative! Carpenter organized a toy drive to bring joy to children in need in Western North Carolina, exceeding his initial goal of assisting the Marines in reaching 700 children. Click HERE to see the pilot (dressed as Santa) in his chopper! Partnering with organizations like The Pantheon Project and the Marines, Raleigh Water employees ensured children in areas severely impacted by Hurricane Helene experience the warmth of the holiday season. The toys, destined for remote and underserved communities, were airdropped by the Marines near Spruce Pines. The toy drive was a resounding

success! Carpenter collected more than 1,200 new, wrapped toys, including 23 bikes and

four tricycles (with helmets). Click HERE to see a video of some of the kids excitedly waiting for one of the toy drops to arrive! In early December, Jarrett Zeigler , accompanied by his retired military dog Shiva and his mother, Julie Zeigler, (pictured right) picked up 185 toys to jumpstart distribution. Carpenter and colleague, Jeff Clark , (both pictured above) delivered the remaining toys.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed to this incredible effort. Your generosity has brought smiles to countless faces!

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