Country singer Chase Rice helps nonprofit gift house to family who lost home in Hurricane Helene

YANCEY COUNTY, N.C. (WSOC) - A North Carolina family got the surprise of a lifetime after losing their home in Hurricane Helene.

The Pogalz family home was washed away, but now, months later, it is being rebuilt with the help of a nonprofit, a knife company and a country music star.

Nonprofit We Must Protect, Buncombe County native and music star Chase Rice, and Montana Knife Company CEO Josh Smith shared the news with the family this week.

“We raised enough money to build you guys a house,” Smith told the family.

There weren’t many words at first, but the tears, smiles and hugs said so much more.

“Y’all have no idea what it’s been like,” Danny Pogalz said.

The Pogalz family shared that they felt like they were slipping through the cracks Hurricane Helene left behind, without receiving much help.

For the last eight months, the family of six has been in and out of trailers and campers and two-bedroom rentals.

Now, the first time since the storm, their tears are happy ones. And they finally feel relief.

“Thank you is not enough. It’s unbelievable. It’s surreal for sure,” family shared.

Rice added, “So many things came together. I’d say the number one thing coming together was God, putting all these people together to make this family finally have a home.”

We Must Protect representatives say the nonprofit organization will continue building homes in North Carolina until there are no more left to build or the funding runs out.

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