In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene ravaged the Southeast, with the Category 4 storm causing 219 deaths and an estimated $78.7 billion in damage.
In the United States, the most damage was caused in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Heavy rain and fierce winds caused major flooding events, most notably in and around Asheville in the mountains of far western North Carolina. The need for supplies was extreme.
Several volunteers responded to that need. Among them was Zach Wager, a senior mechanical engineering major from Columbus, Indiana, who pitches on the University of Martin baseball team. He also has a pilot’s license.
Over a weekend last fall, he flew supplies from West Tennessee to flood victims in the mountains of North Carolina. Many of the supplies were gathered by fellow student-athletes through the UT Martin Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, or SAAC.
Wager said bringing the supplies to flood victims involved his whole family.
“My mom helped pack the plane, as weight is critical to make sure you aren’t overloaded, and my dad and I flew to North Carolina to deliver the supplies,” he said in an email interview.
“I only took one trip. I left on a Saturday after baseball practice and flew the supplies from SAAC and the equestrian team to my hometown and picked up more supplies.
Among the supplies that Wager brought were baby formula, baby diapers, diaper wipes, trash bags, toilet paper, paper towels, food, tarps, cleaning supplies, plastic silverware, dog food and many more items.
Wager said it didn’t take much to encourage the UTM student-athletes to pitch in to help.
“This is a small school, and when my teammates found out I was going, the next thing I knew, someone from the equestrian team and SAAC reached out, asking how they could help,” he said.
Wager said helping others was something he grew up with.
“My parents have always instilled in me giving back to the community you live in and helping those who are in need at an early age,” he said. “Since attending UTM, my parents always bring donations from home to stock the Captain’s Pantry (a campus food pantry for students) and the Little Free Pantry locally.”
Wager began learning to fly when he was in high school.
“I’ve always had an interest in learning to fly,” he said. “I pitched the idea of getting my pilot’s license to my parents, as the cost would have been equivalent to a nice trip to Hawaii or someplace similar.
“After a few weeks of getting my mom on board, they agreed for me to take lessons. I took my introductory flight and was hooked. It took me a little over a year because of school, travel baseball and weather for me to earn my private pilot’s license.”
Wager was the first UT Martin pitcher to be named to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American list, and while professional baseball is on his mind, he said his career goals also include becoming an engineer in the space industry or becoming a professional pilot.
Wager said this was his first experience of helping in a natural disaster, but he added that it is something he wants to do more of.
“This was the first time I have helped in a natural disaster, where you can see everyone come together for a common goal and see the devastation of an area that my family vacationed to regularly,” he said. “This is something that I want to continue to do, to give back and offer help and, when I have a family, teach my children the importance of it.
“I feel pretty grateful to be in a position and have a skill that they needed to provide support and be able to help in that tough situation. It was incredible to see so many people coming together in those times of need. We had multiple flights a day leaving my hometown airport to make the trip. I was glad to be able to be a part of it.”
PHOTO: Senior mechanical engineering major Zach Wager (left), a pitcher on the Skyhawk baseball team, is shown with his father, Nathan, in front of his plane before they flew a load of supplies to flood victims in western North Carolina last year.
