Dyersburg residents collect donations for East Tenn. wildfire victims

DYERSBERG, Tenn. — “It’s the giving season, and we feel as West Tennessee and the good people that live here, that we can come together,” said Phyllis Pigue, manager at Ryder Integrated Logistics.

Pigue said she was devastated when she thought of the victims of the Gatlinburg fires, especially the furry ones.

“What touched my heart was the animals. I knew that the people were taken care of as well as possible, but I was worried about the animals,” Pigue said.

So she reached out to a competing company, West Tennessee Logistics, and together they decided to collect whatever they could for the victims and deliver it themselves.

They are accepting anything that may be helpful.

“Diapers, personal items, dog food, blankets, gloves, scarves,” Pigue said.

West Tennessee Expediting and Ryder would like to fill an entire trailer by Dec. 18, and you still have time to help.

They will be outside the Dyersburg Mall for the next two weekends and say volunteer drivers are hoping to get the truck to Gatlinburg in time for Christmas morning.

“People are coming out. We’ve been here now maybe an hour, and donations are coming in,” Pigue said.

For a schedule of when you can donate at Dyersburg Mall, click here.