BBN helps donate UK equipment truck full of tornado relief supplies

UK Athletics asked, Big Blue Nation delivered. Shocker, right?

With severe weather devastating parts of Kentucky, UK football player Jager Burton and basketball player Trent Noah spearheaded a tornado relief drive outside of Kroger Field on Thursday and Friday. Donations were accepted on both days, ranging from rakes and shovels to cleaning supplies to paper goods flashlights and lanterns, all to help victims in Laurel and Pulaski Counties.

The drive started with an empty Kentucky football equipment trailer — typically used to bring an entire team’s worth of helmets, pads and uniforms across the country for games. By the time things wrapped up in the Blue Lot, the massive trailer was full of supplies to bring down to London and Somerset.

Thank you, #BBN, for showing up in force to generously donate tornado relief supplies!

Filled the @UKfootball equipment truck and more! @LEX18News @BBNTonight @UKSportsNetwork @jager_burton pic.twitter.com/5poCZ27jhc

— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) May 23, 2025

“I’m super grateful,” Burton told BBN Tonight — who, along with LEX18, also partnered with UK Athletics to help make it all happen. “We were talking about what my expectations were going into it, but we have a little truck that’s filled with water and I thought we’d be able to fill that smaller truck up. With the help of you all, the great people around Kentucky and Lexington, I feel like we made a huge difference. … It’s an example of how strong our fanbase is. They show up for us regardless of circumstances, the tough losses and big wins.

“We wanted to show up for them for something that’s bigger than sports, which is this, helping with tornado relief.”

A major shoutout to Jager Burton for organizing and executing an incredible donation drive for our fellow Kentuckians this week.

… And for joining us live on BBN Tonight, of course! pic.twitter.com/vvdoLcCuO8

— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) May 23, 2025

Student-athletes across several sports showed up to lend a hand, the entire school coming together for tornado victims in a way you won’t find anywhere else in the country. It’s why Kentucky is one of a kind.

Proud of our student-athletes for spearheading the Kentucky Tornado Relief Supplies Drive.

We're accepting needed supplies Thursday until 8 p.m. and Friday 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Kroger Field Blue Lot. pic.twitter.com/9zB2pQvmje

— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) May 22, 2025

The EF-4 tornado, which was nearly one mile wide, touched down in Laurel and Pulaski Counties and was on the ground for 55 miles with winds peaking at 170 miles per hour. It was a storm that left 19 people dead with many still in critical condition. More than 1,500 homes were destroyed or heavily damaged with 5,000 homes receiving at least some damage from the storms.

Mark Pope and Reed Sheppard were among the people working hands-on to clean up following the devastation last weekend.

“There’s so much work to be done,” Pope told KSR this week. “All of us who go in — like, we went in on the first day, and that’s all great, but they’re going to be fighting this for the next years, right? The continuity of help and care for this community really, is really important.

“But, I’m telling you, it’s Kentucky. It’s Kentucky, man. It’s the same vibe that we have in BBN, where there’s this connection point. People in the state, from my vantage point, we are great at loving our neighbor. People love their neighbors. To me, that’s a gospel principle that’s so important, but it’s something that we see lived out in the lives of people here. Kentucky’s had way more than its fair share of natural disasters over the last couple of years, but it was inspiring to see.”

Well done, BBN.