LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Thousands of pairs of shoes and socks are being distributed to people affected by flooding in eastern Kentucky last month.
The Samaritan's Feet organization partnered with the University of Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari, the Kentucky basketball team and state officials to give away bags containing shoes and socks Tuesday.
The Calipari Foundation sponsored the events at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg and Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park in Buckhorn. HanesBrands donated 10,000 pairs of socks for the events.
Samaritan's Feet, founded in 2003, and its partners have served more than 8.7 million people in 108 countries and 530 U.S. cities, the group said in a news release.
In total, 39 people have been confirmed dead. The majority of those who died were from Knott County, where four children died.
Beshear says as of Aug. 18, 455 people are being house in temporary shelters. Another 319 displaced Kentuckians are in state parks.
More than 1,400 people have been rescued by boat and helicopter, and fourteen counties and three cities have declared emergencies.
All wireless providers have been restored in the region. There are only 74 power outages, while roughly 2,600 households and businesses without water, there are more than 22,000 under a boil water advisory.
Following the disaster, Beshear quickly launched the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund to help flood survivors as they work to rebuild.
As of Aug. 18, over $6.7 million has been raised to help survivors.
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