TRYON-A local family has been collecting Christmas presents for victims of the Gatlinburg fires.

Tracy and Pat Gray decided to adopt families for Christmas after seeing the devastation. Pat Gray’s father lives in Gatlinburg part-time and his house was one of hundreds that was completely lost.

Tracy Gray said as devastating as the family home being lost was, there are many in in Tennessee who lost absolutely everything and have nowhere to go.

“The destruction everywhere is devastating,” Tracy Gray said. “Everything is burnt. Everyone we are adopting have nothing. Their entire world is gone.”

Gray said the essentials like food, water and diapers have been taken care of for the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge victims but families also lost Christmas.

“Everyone needs to open up presents on Christmas,” Gray said.

Gray said once she saw the devastation and began thinking about people who lost everything, she began searching online and found a woman in Tennessee who is coordinating efforts to collect Christmas presents to be distributed to families in need. Gray got in touch with Bethany Campos, of Sevierville, Tenn., who is going around to shelters, finding families to adopt and creating a wish list.

Gray said there were many families who simply thought they were being evacuated for smoke and could come back to their homes and it didn’t work out that way. Some people literally left with the clothes on their backs, she said.

The Grays are travelling to Gatlinburg this Sunday, Dec. 18 to drop off collections from this area, which Gray has been coordinating through Tryon Elementary School.

Gray said Campos’ Facebook page, Gatlinburg Fire Christmas Family Adoption had just six people when she joined and now has grown to 100 people. The group has adopted 47 families so far.

Gray suggests anyone who wants to help the families with Christmas to either go by the Tryon Elementary School Office to pick out a family from the Wish Tree there or to send generic gifts there by Friday, Dec. 16 at 3 p.m.

Gray is trying to bring generic gifts as well as specific gifts from the Wish Tree, especially for parents. Gray said many parents said they didn’t want anything for Christmas after filling out requests for their children. Gift cards to Shell gasoline and Walmart are being suggested for those who want to help.

Gray can be contacted at 843-607-8396 before this weekend for anyone who wants to help.

After the weekend, people can still mail gifts directly to Tennessee by visiting Campos’ Facebook page and requesting to join.