HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The state of Florida made a major donation to organizations supporting first responders in the state following their courageous response to Hurricane Milton.
The money comes from the Florida Disaster Fund, a charitable organization affiliated with the state. At a press conference in Hillsborough County, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the fund has raised more than $12 million in recent weeks.
DeSantis awarded $400,000 total from the fund to four organizations: Florida's Firefighters Charities Fund, the Florida PBA Heart Fund, the Florida Sheriff's Association Fund and the Florida State Lodge FOP Memorial Foundation. Each organization received $100,000.
“We want to make sure that those folks that have gone the extra mile for the community that they’re taken care of as well," DeSantis said at a press conference.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said 80 of his employees were impacted by the most recent storm, but that never stopped them from supporting those in need.
“These employees, all 80 of them, never missed a moment of work," he said. "They never missed an opportunity to continue and serve this community.”
Chronister expressed gratitude for DeSantis's support of first responders and law enforcement throughout the years, and particularly in Milton's aftermath.
“In times like this after facing two major storms, you can’t get through this without help," Chronister said. "Governor, that help always starts with you.”
In Pasco County, DeSantis also announced a total of $500,000 would be distributed between various community organizations helping Floridians in need, including Team Rubicon, Tool Bank USA, Florida Baptist Convention Disaster Relief, Faith Responders, Rebuilding Tampa Bay, SBP, All Hands and Hearts, CWS, Samaritan's Purse and Plain Compassion Disaster Response.
"We thank all the businesses, nonprofits, and individuals who have come together in the aftermath of this storm to lend a helping hand to communities as they recover," the governor said in a Facebook post.
