Jager Burton, Trent Noah spearhead Tornado Relief Drive outside Kroger Field

Two Kentucky natives and UK student-athletes are teaming up to help their home state after last week’s deadly storms.

Kentucky football player Jager Burton and basketball player Trent Noah are spearheading a tornado relief drive outside Kroger Field. Donations will be accepted in the stadium’s Blue Lot adjacent to Alumni Drive on Thursday, May 22 (4-8 p.m.) and Friday, May 23 (11 a.m.-1 p.m.). UK staff and players will be there to help gather the donations, which will go directly to the tornado relief efforts in southern Kentucky.

Here is the list of needed items:

• Rakes and shovels
• Trash bags
  • Cleaning supplies
• Paper goods (toilet paper, paper towels)
• Flashlights and lanterns
  • Non-perishable foods

If you’re interested in making a monetary donation, consider giving to the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund at TeamKYStormReliefFund.ky.gov. Additional resources can be found here: Laurel County Resources, Pulaski County Resources, and Animal Shelter Supplies.

On Friday night, an EF-4 tornado touched down in Laurel and Pulaski Counties. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado was nearly one mile wide and was on the ground for 55 miles, with winds peaking at 170 miles per hour. Nineteen people have died thus far, and many are still in critical condition. According to the state’s request for a federal disaster declaration, more than 1,500 homes were likely destroyed or heavily damaged, and 5,000 homes received at least some damage from the storms. The state of Kentucky had endured at least 18 severe weather emergencies since 2019.

Jager Burton will be a senior this fall and hails from Lexington, while Trent Noah, a native of Harlan, Kentucky, will be a sophomore. Burton has played in 38 career games with 34 starts. He was a four-star prospect coming out of Frederick Douglass High School and won the 2020 Paul Hornung Award, given to the top high school player in the state. Noah appeared in 24 games in Mark Pope’s inaugural season, averaging 2.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. The former Harlan County star finished his high school career ranked fifth on the state’s all-time scoring list.

The Sheppard Foundation establishes Tornado Disaster Relief fund

Buton and Noah are just two of the many Cats to offer their support this week. On Saturday, former Cat Reed Sheppard was spotted cleaning up debris in his hometown of London, which was in the path. On Sunday, Mark Pope and two of his daughters joined him to volunteer their efforts.

The Sheppard Foundation, which was established by the Sheppard family in 2024, started a GoFundMe this morning to help the victims of the storms. If you’re interested in knowing more, click here.

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