Fans needed to help the summer sizzle | Community Spirit

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WECT/AP) – Triple-digit heat is heading to North Carolina, and parts of the state may experience 100-degree temperatures for five days.

Most people can retreat to the air-conditioned indoors, but not everyone has that option. Many senior citizens in Columbus County rely on fans to keep them cool in the summer months, but not everyone can afford one.

Seniors make up a third of the county’s population and many rely on people in the community for fan donations.

The Department of Aging in Columbus County is asking the community to donate fans to help senior citizens and those in need beat the heat.

So far, workers at the Department of Aging say they have only received 50 fans to give away, which is fewer than they have gotten in previous years. Fans are being collected at all seven Department of Aging centers in Columbus County.

During hot weather, workers with the Department of Aging perform welfare checks on seniors who live alone.

Click here for some creative ways to stay cool in this potentially record-breaking heat.

Copyright 2012 WECT. All rights reserved. The AP contributed to this report.