Steve Bartlett
Donors as of late Wednesday morning had raised over $134,000 for a longtime McCallie School faculty member who lost his house, car and beloved book and magazine collection in Saturday's devastating flood.
Steve Bartlett, who had retired to Waverly, Tn., in 2011, had to go up to the attic in order to save his own life.
Mr. Bartlett was at McCallie for four decades as a history teacher and athletic trainer.
He had an especial love for Civil War history.
Thus far, 650 donors have taken part in a GoFundMe drive. The original goal was $10,000.
Jeff Kurtzman, who is heading up the drive, said, "If you worked at McCallie or went to school here before 2011, you knew Steve Bartlett. He walked all over campus and talked with everyone--at length!
"Unfortunately, as you may have heard, this weekend's flash flood in Waverly, Tennessee claimed Steve's house, car and virtually all of his possessions. Steve escaped the floodwaters in his attic, but six feet of water destroyed most everything else.
"The house itself is not salvageable, and Steve did not have flood insurance, so he will likely not receive any reimbursement for his house. His car is missing, carried away somewhere by the water. His prized collection of many thousands of books and magazines is also ruined, as are his clothes and belongings.
"I talked to Steve this morning, and he is in good spirits, all things considered. He has decided to follow Rahm Emanuel's advice: 'You never let a serious crisis go to waste. It's an opportunity to do things you thought you could not do before.'
"Steve has decided not to rebuild and to leave all of that behind and start over in St. Louis to be closer to family. He has salvaged a few photos and mementos and six books, which amounts to about .1% of his collection. It's true they are just things, but those of you who know Steve know how important his books and magazines were to him.
"When he was here, Steve was always incredibly generous with his time, and no one was more dedicated to McCallie School or more friendly to everyone on campus. In honor of all the many gifts he gave us during his 40 years at McCallie, a GoFundMe has been started for friends, colleagues and former students to help Steve begin his new life as soon as possible. If you knew Steve, I hope you'll consider contributing: https://gofund.me/ddf1abd3