Hurricane Hero Tony Alsup How One Man Rescued Hundreds of Animals
One of the most interesting — and perhaps funniest — events currently happening in the Libman household is that our oldest son, Evan, has decided to retire at the ripe old age of 8. He started this school year with a far more excited mindset. In fact, he even spent the last couple of weeks of summer break trying to convince his younger brother, Ethan, that starting kindergarten would be a fun experience. But now that the school year is nearly half over, his enthusiasm has definitely tapered off. He has decided that instead of finishing second grade, he wants to get a gaming console to play Minecraft and make Youtube videos so cool that he can get a million subscribers. Beyond trying to convince our kids that second grade is a valuable experience, this month has been both hectic and a good period for all of us to spend time together during the holidays. This year, we celebrated Hanukkah from Dec. 2–10, which is a bit earlier in the month than previous years. For those of you who don’t know, Hanukkah is a Hebrew word meaning “dedication.” It commemorates a miraculous event in the second century BC On Early Retirement and Hanukkah My Wife's Perspective In the wake of destruction, it’s easy to focus on self-preservation. After all, fight-or-flight instincts are hard-wired into our brains so that we can survive dangerous situations. But while fear drives the actions of many in times of chaos, there are a few who find greater strength in compassion. Tony Alsup considered the potential devastation of Hurricane Florence as he sat comfortably in his home in Greeneville, Tennessee. Rather than sit back and watch, the truck driver by trade packed up an out-of-commission school bus he’d bought and set off to South Carolina with one goal in mind: to save as many animals as possible. Stopping by every shelter he found along the coast, Alsup rescued over 60 cats and dogs in both North and South Carolina and took them to Foley, Alabama. The heroic efforts of Alsup saved the lives of many animals, but it wasn’t the first time he’d rushed into danger for a good cause. He’d originally purchased the school bus, which he turned into Noah’s Ark last year, to save animals in Texas and Florida as Hurricane Harvey pounded the Gulf Coast. When he finished there, his mission shifted to helping animals in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island.
It’s said that character is
defined by the way someone acts when no one is watching. Many people
heard of Alsup’s bravery after the devastation of Florence, but as news stories turned to sports, politics, and business, America slowly moved on. Victims of the hurricane who lacked supplies received less national attention, but more than a month later, Alsup’s commitment to the cause was as strong as ever. Living out of the back of the bus for weeks, he drove pets out of the persistent flooding and convoyed shipments of desperately needed supplies to the coastal Carolina towns. You can follow Tony’s commitment on Facebook. He’s not asking for money or fame; he’s just a person with a heart to serve, using social media to promote awareness about those who desperately need our help. If you’re wondering what drives such a person, you can find it written at the bottom of every update he posts: “Love y’all, mean it.”
when the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who tried to force the people of Israel to accept Greek culture and beliefs instead of mitzvah, observance and belief in God. Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews led by Judah the Maccabee defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and rededicated it to the service of God. When they sought to light the Temple's menorah, they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks. Miraculously, they lit the menorah and the one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days. Regardless of whether your family celebrated Hanukkah, are anxiously awaiting your Christmas celebration, or you don’t celebrate any holiday this month, I hope you are able to spend some much-deserved time with loved ones and close friends. From my family to yours, happy holidays!
-Maria Libman
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