Syracuse, N.Y. ― On Wednesday, Gerry McNamara sat glued to his television, watching as Hurricane Ian approached the coast of Florida and careened toward his uncle’s home in Fort Myers.
By Friday, McNamara had learned that his family — both his uncle Norbert DeMars and his cousins, Patrick and Katie — had lost everything to the hurricane. While the family was safe, their homes were destroyed by the monumental storm.
“My cousin asked me if the national news was talking about Fort Myers and Sanibel‚’’ McNamara said via text late Friday. “They’re completely shut off from the world.’'
McNamara, the former Syracuse basketball player and current Orange assistant, started a GoFundMe campaign to help his family.
In his GoFundMe post, McNamara detailed how his family would annually visit Norbert and his cousins in Fort Myers.
“It has always been a home away from home for our Scranton family,’' he wrote, “and they welcomed us by the dozen as we made their house and hometown our own for a few weeks each year. We would like to give back to them and help them as they begin to rebuild their lives.’'
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