Thanks to $150,000 and with Walton Way as the backdrop—AU is starting to look whole again.
“I remember when the hurricane came across our community, it reshaped the campus landscape, and for many of us, it was something that we could not have imagined or even planned for,” said Dr. Russell Keen, President of AU. “But today is not a story about loss. Today is a story about hope and renewal in a community that was hit by a storm but didn’t stay down. A community that came together, rose up and said, ‘We will do better, and it can be done.’”
Augusta University (AU), joined by the Community Foundation for the CSRA (CFCSRA) and members of the Sand Hills Garden Club, dedicated two new Deodar cedar trees on campus.
One was planted at the main entrance off Walton Way, to fill the sky left empty when Hurricane Helene destroyed the 250-year-old, heritage-listed one that welcomed visitors. The other was placed in what is known as The Grove, a shaded spot popular with students; its canopy was also wiped out during the storm.
Shell Berry, President and CEO of CFCSRA, told ABD this is another step in the challenge to recover from the September 2024 damage.
“These are all the pieces and parts that are going to help us rebuild the beautiful community that we know and love, from putting roofs on houses to putting trees in the ground. This is how we start to recover for the long term, which is really inspiring,” she said.
In 2024, the Sand Hills Garden Club was looking for a way to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Then the hurricane hit, and the answer became clear.
“As soon as everybody could get back together, we were like, ‘We’ve got to change something. We’ve got to give back to the community,’ and we saw the devastation on this campus, and it broke our hearts,” said Cathy Dolan, President of the Sand Hills Garden Club. “We wondered if we could raise $100,000 and celebrate 100 years. We’re 40 women, how are we going to do this? And we said, ‘Game on.’”
They raised $150,000, including a donation from the Savannah Garden Club and a grant from the Garden Club of Georgia (GCA). Dolan said that is when they turned to CFCSRA. The club received a matching grant from the Hurricane Helene Community Crisis Fund.
“The trees planted through this effort will do far more than replace what was lost. They will shape the experience of every student, faculty member, and visitor who spends time here, not forgetting all those who walk these grounds every day,” said Dolan. “These trees will stand as a living reminder of the partnership and the care and a shared belief in the future.”
Berry said, while the Deodar cedars at AU have received much attention, other projects are underway across the area to empower individuals to plant native hardwood trees in their yards.
“There’s a project we’re working on called the Grow Back Project, which will help individual homeowners have the information that they need and tree giveaways to be able to put those trees in their individual yards so they can be part of restoring their urban canopy. But that’s not for today,” she said, adding, “Stay Tuned.”
To donate to CFCSRA, visit: www.cfcsra.org/how-you-give/ways-to-give/
