Two Kansan men are driving to Florida this weekend to volunteer with the American Red Cross in the wake of Hurricane Ian. 

The organization said nearly 1,000 trained disaster workers are in or on the way to Florida, South Carolina and Georgia, including Richard Powell and Kevin Mann. It’s both men’s first major deployment with the Red Cross. 

“We know we're contributing back to the community, even though it's not our community,” Powell said. “It's for the common good.”

The pair started their nearly 20 hour drive from Wichita Saturday. They said they plan to arrive in Florida on Sunday. 

“All we know at this point is where we're taking this vehicle,” Mann said. 

“We’ll know what our true assignments for the next two weeks are when…once we touch ground in Florida,” Powell said. 

The American Red Cross told KAKE News it is prepared to help over 60,000 Floridians with recovery in the wake of the storm. Ian made landfall near Fort Myers Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane. 

 

The organization said it could take days before it knows the full extent of the damage. Powell and Mann are deployed for two weeks. 

“This was kind of the ultimate challenge to take two weeks off and go to the other side of the country to do this,” Powell said. 

He’s volunteered with the Red Cross for decades; Mann for only a year. They had never met before picking up the Disaster Relief vehicle they are driving to Florida in Salina Saturday. 

“I would challenge anybody that if you, if you have that desire to help, you don't have to drive, you know, 20 hours to an event like this,” Powell said. 

If you want to help, you can visit the Red Cross’s website (click here) or text “IAN “ to 90999 to donate. The organization is also in need of more blood donations and local volunteers as recovery efforts continue in the Southeast.