SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Vern Gillmore is 80 years old, but on Monday he is intentionally heading into the path of Hurricane Sandy.
"My hobby is volunteering," said Gillmore. "I love to volunteer and help people."
Gillmore lives in Woodland, and he has been helping the Utah chapter of the American Red Cross for three years. The last time he got deployed to the East Coast, he got an interesting reaction from a woman who just lost her home.
"She looked at me and she said, 'Utah?! You came all the way from Utah to help me?!'" Gillmore said.
Gillmore is not the only person from Utah preparing to help the Red Cross with disaster assistance from Hurricane Sandy. Tina Spencer plans to arrive in the storm zone right after Sandy hits the coast to help people find shelter.
"It makes me sad to see some of the devastation that goes on with the hurricanes," said Spencer, "but it makes me feel good that I'm able to help people."
"It's just a wonderful thing to see the gratitude on the faces of people that are in the middle of a disaster," said Gillmore.
The Utah Chapter of the Red Cross is ready to send more people, too, if needed. They also offer a smart phone app to help people keep track of their loved ones in the storm's path. And there are other ways to contribute.
"The best thing people can do to help victims of this disaster," said Teresa Zundel from the Red Cross, "is to give money, to give blood, or to give time."
