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RIVERTON — When a Riverton restaurant owner decided to start a supplies drive for victims of Hurricane Ian in Florida, what started as a truckload of items quickly turned into a semitruck.
Travis Bonino, owner of Salsa Leedos, 13298 S. Market Center Drive, owns a vacation home in Treasure Island, Florida. His family thought they were going to lose the home during the storm, he said. But they never lost power, and the storm missed the home by about 80 miles.
"So, you know, I was kind of excited. And then I woke up later that night feeling horrible. I felt guilty. It's a vacation home, and people lost everything. Watching the news, I was horrified by it. Seeing the destruction, I've got a place in Florida, now I've got a special place in my heart for Florida. I'm part-Floridian now, I guess," he said.
He said he was watching the news "and watching people walk around dazed and confused" after losing everything. Many had only 20 hours to evacuate and lost their homes, vehicles and belongings, Bonino noted.
Some Floridians who lost parts of their home are staying at the Boninos' vacation home, but he wanted to do more.
The restaurant had started a campaign called "Leedo's Love" during the pandemic to give back to the community, and his customers were supportive of it, Bonino said.
He decided to reach out to the community again to fill a truck and trailer to take supplies to Florida. They filled up overnight, he said, so he got his pickup truck and a larger trailer, and that, too, filled up the next day.
Utah is really an amazing place.
–Travis Bonino
A friend reached out from a trucking company to donate his time to take it to Florida, making room for yet more supplies — a lot more.
"Now we need to fill this baby. Florida needs us. We want to show Florida what Utah's all about, and show what an amazing community we have here in Utah," Bonino said.
With help from social media and local news, Bonino said the response has led to numerous donations. Another truck company has even offered to help if the restaurant can fill another truck.
"Anytime I've ever reached out to my local community here for anything, for someone who is in need, it's unbelievable how many people reach out to us and support us, and what we're supporting," Bonino said.
He said he couldn't do all of it himself, but "Utah is really an amazing place." Help hasn't only come from the south end of the Salt Lake Valley — two women even drove two full cars from St. George on Thursday. "So they're coming from all over the place bringing supplies."
From speaking to people who live in Florida, Bonino says he's learned they need all types of donations, especially yard supplies, clean-up supplies, shovels and rakes, and other tools.
"They've got messes to clean up."
Victims of the storm in Florida also need items like children's clothes and socks, underwear and T-shirts for adults while they work to clean up their communities.
The donation drive will end by Monday night as the truck needs to hit the road by Tuesday morning, Bonino said. Donations can be dropped off at the restaurant. More information is available on Salsa Leedo's Facebook page.
