USA Up Star

It was great to see a couple of Spuce Pine’s finest stop by and check out our USA Up Star base camp. Thank you for protecting & serving your community’ #SprucePinePD

Always great to be supporting the dedicated soldiers of the North Carolina National Guard !

As week 3 of Base Camp operations in western North Carolina comes to an end, the USA Up Star team looks back and reflects on a week of steady state operations and our mission of bringing some joy in the form of Halloween spirit through candy donations from Mars M&M Mars and costumes from USAUpStar Klayton South .We are honored to be providing much needed support to disaster responders on behalf of State & County Emergency Management Agencies. #WesternNorthCarolona

The team at USA Up Star sends a big thank you to the Sourwood Ridge Band of Asheville, North Carolina The three string band veterans that make up Sourwood Ridge:  Scott Owenby (guitar, mandolin, vocals)   Craig Bannerman (bass, vocals)   Troy Harrison (banjo, guitar, mandolin, vocals) came together to play and share their music performing for our guests at our USA Up Star Base Camp sourwoodridge.com

The team at USA Up Star had a very heart warming experience in western North Carolina. Thanks to the generosity of our Owner & President Klayton South we were able to deliver 600 Halloween costumes to Mitchell County Schools. And thanks to a huge donation from the incredible team at the M&M Mars Mars Wrigley corporation, our team also received and delivered 33 pallets of candy to four schools that will hold district wide trunk & treat events on October 31st. Thank you to Tim Lebel - President of Sales, Rob Taylor -Director Customer Marketing, Melissa Mcllrath - Seasonal Customer Marketing, Nick Manos Customer Quality Manager, Jacqueline Paull - Customer Service, Jessica Adelman - SVP Communications Mike Kelly, Sales Director Diedra Pitts, Mars Equestrian Operations Team Lead Special thanks to MaryBeth Milici & Taylor Milici for coordinating with Mars Wrigley John Dill for managing the delivery, David & Darrell from our crew for their safe delivery skills and the Principals of the Mitchell County Schools that greeted us this morning so we could make a smooth delivery.

The Halloween costumes have arrived, and the candy bars will be here tomorrow! The Team at USA Up Star wants to help make sure the children in Mitchell County don’t miss out on Halloween fun! USA UP STAR Owner & President Klayton South purchased 600 costumes ranging in sizes infant to middle school and shipped them to our base camp. We are partnering with Mitchell County Schools for their ghoulish activities on October 31st with costumes and candy. Stay tuned!

The team at USA Up Star continues to provide support to the State of North Carolina in the hard hit western counties of Yancey, Mitchell & Buncombe. With three full turnkey base camps and a general population relief center & shelter serving the responders and the community. The County leadership and the residents of these communities are very resilient and continue to recover and rebuild. #WNCStrong 💪 #HurricaneHelene2024

At a USA UPSTAR disaster response base camp after hours, the atmosphere shifts to a calm, quiet space of relief and recovery. After a long, grueling day in the disaster zone, responders return to a haven where the hustle of the day is replaced by a sense of peace. The steady hum of generators is the constant background sound, almost soothing as it underscores the lull of the camp. The trailers, softly glowing with light, create a warm, inviting aura that blankets the site, making it feel like a sanctuary amidst the chaos outside. Responders, having had a hearty meal, are finally able to unwind. There’s a sense of camaraderie as stories from the day are exchanged over coffee, but even that fades as people retreat to their spaces. Clean laundry is folded neatly, awaiting them as a simple but profound gesture of care. After a hot shower, the weariness of the day melts away, leaving a refreshed sense of calm and gratitude. The security of the camp provides peace of mind, ensuring everyone can sleep deeply, recharging for the next day’s efforts. The team at USA Up Star is honored to be operating three of the responder base camps for the State of North Carolina in support of Yancey, Mitchell & Buncombe Counties. #WNCStrong #WeDoBaseCamps

The team at USA Up Star is pleased to support the North Carolina Department of Public Safety & Mitchell County with a general population relief center & shelter at the Harris Middle School campus in Spruce Pine. It’s also great to see all of the disaster relief services and organizations that have responded to western North Carolina towns impacted by Hurricane Helene. Here in Mitchell County alone we have seen: Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Ground Force Humanitarian Aid Walmart The Salvation Army North & South Carolina Division American Red Cross North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC) Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Hope AACR Plain Compassion Crisis Response Mobile Barber Truck

As week 2 of Base Camp operations in western North Carolina come to an end, the USA Up Star team looks back and reflects on all of the amazing disaster responders that we have been supporting on behalf of the State & County Emergency Management Agencies. #WesternNorthCarolona