A Great Group of Guys
Date: March 24, 2008

When tornadoes ripped a trail of destruction and devastation through Northwest Georgia in mid-March, they left in their wake a flood of care and compassion that crossed political, cultural, social and even competitive lines.

Among the good Samaritans responding were four members of Floyd’s Plant Facilities department who came to the aid of a woman they didn’t know and who works for Floyd’s chief competitor.

Scott Davis organized the effort.

Amanda Treglown is the office manager for Redmond Regional Medical Center’s plant facilities department. She lives with her disabled child in Taylorsville, and while her home was spared the worst of nature’s fury, the high winds tore shingles and fascia boards from her roof, destroyed a fence and playhouse and ripped away power lines. With more rain in the forecast, Amanda was most concerned about her roof. But, in the three days that had passed since the storms had come, she had not found anyone to help.

Scott’s wife, who also works at Redmond, told him about Amanda and her need.

Scott called Amanda and shared her need with his co-workers Walter Benefield, Steve Scoggins and Steve Cooper. The next day the four men, still wearing their Floyd uniforms, left from work, shouldering their tools and drove to Taylorsville. They were joined by Amanda’s father, a co-worker at Redmond and the spouse of another co-worker.

The men battled strong, gusting winds for three hours to wrestle a tarp into place.

“The wind was blowing so hard it picked me up holding the tarp,” Scott said. “A 40-foot by 60-foot tarp catches a lot of wind.”

Although this was clearly a time when allegiances didn’t matter, Scott said he was proud that a strong contingent of Floyd employees came to the rescue when a competitor’s employee needed help.

“The way I look at it, if somebody needs help like that, I’m going to help them,” Scott said, “because I never know when I might need help like that and need somebody to help me.”

Scott’s co-workers agree. While Scott and his crew helped Amanda, Robin Ables and David Ingle were helping another Flint Hill family cover their home.

Diane Kew, who manages the Plant Facilities Office at Floyd, said her co-workers’ efforts make her proud.

“ When the guys came in to work the next day, they said that the lady they helped has the same job at Redmond that I have here at Floyd.  I told them that they evidently don't take as good of care of their lady there as our guys do of me.  I know I am blessed to work with such a wonderful and giving group of guys as I do, but this really gave me a whole new appreciation for them.”

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