Employees of Businesses Destroyed by Wildfire to Get $1,000 Per Month

Checks from the Gatlinburg Relief Fund will soon go out to employees of businesses destroyed, and estates of the people whose lives were lost, due to the wildfires in November.

The Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce Foundation announced today that it will begin distribution of Gatlinburg Relief Fund checks during the first week of January 2017. About $1.4 million has reportedly been donated the fund, including a $500,000 donation from Food City and its NASCAR partners.

An appointed oversight committee of the foundation identified and approved two categories of recipients that qualify for initial benefits from the Gatlinburg Relief Fund:

• Individuals who worked for Gatlinburg businesses completely destroyed and unable to reopen their doors before January 9, 2017 will receive $1,000 per month for three months. The Chamber of Commerce is in the process of contacting destroyed business owners to retrieve names of employees.

• The estates of people who died as a result of the wildfires will receive $25,000 per loss of life.

Officials with the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce Foundation were not available to clarify a previous announcement regarding business qualification for grant funds.

Visit www.gatlinburg.com/ and click on the “Donate” tab on the home page to donate directly to the fund.