As Sandy

Creek High School wrestler Kerry Ruffin recovers from his

injuries and his family deals with the aftermath of the

devastating fire that took their home, they are receiving

an outpouring of support from the community and

elsewhere.

Ruffin

suffered a serious spinal injury Saturday during a

wrestling meet. Shortly after his surgery Monday night,

his mother returned home to find that a fire had

virtually destroyed the house.

From Sandy

Creek, throughout the Fayette County school system and to

Atlanta and beyond, calls are coming at a breakneck pace

from people who wish to help the Ruffin family

financially and offer other forms of encouragement.

Counselors

and staff at the high school have done a great deal of

organization in a very short time, enlisting the help of

other schools in the county in the process.

A program

known as CARE (Children At Risk in Education) has teams

of faculty and staff in place in all Fayette public

schools. They are putting out the word to their students

on how they can contribute to the Ruffins in the coming

weeks.

"They've

been a big help," said Winkie Greenhaw of Sandy

Creek.

Ruffin's

mother will soon be registering at local retail stores so

that interested citizens can go and find out exactly what

the family needs to replenish the household, according to

Sandy Creek's Kelly Floyd.

A fund for

Ruffin has been set up at all Bank of America locations

in Fayette County, making it easy for monetary donations

to be made.

Many people

are already coming forward with clothes and other

household items. Anyone donating large items, such as

furniture, is asked to contact Floyd or Greenhaw at the

school (770-969-2840) so that an inventory can be kept

and storage arrangements can be made.

Parent-teacher

organizations and booster clubs around the county are

already at work. A Starr's Mill parent is organizing

volunteers to go out this weekend and solicit donations

using buckets provided by Lowe's and Home Depot, Greenhaw

said.

Some Sandy

Creek students have scheduled a special prayer meeting

for Ruffin and his family next Friday at 7:45 a.m. at the

flag pole.

Wrestling

coach Damian Belvedere has reported many people simply

walking in off the street and giving him money for the

Ruffins, Sandy Creek staffers said.

Help also

is coming from outside the county. The principal of

Harrison High School in east Cobb County has called to

say that the students there are collecting items to

contribute.

A travel

agent in Stockbridge reported that she is gathering

clothes in her area, and a lady living in a retirement

home in Douglasville also is sending some items, Greenhaw

said.

Contributions

are coming in on the corporate level, with some companies

reporting that they will be helping out through

organizations such as United Way.

Atlanta

radio station STAR 94 had Mrs. Ruffin on the air

Wednesday morning, and she was given a furnished Post

apartment for six months and a year's supply of groceries

from Kroger.

Wrestling

programs at schools around the state have been contacted

and will be getting involved in the coming weeks,

Greenhaw said.

As for the

Sandy Creek students, they have been outstanding in their

reponse, according to Floyd and Greenhaw.

"We've

got the best students anywhere," said Greenhaw.

"It's just phenomenal the support we've had

here."

The staff

also recognized Sandy Creek's principal, Dr. Charles

Warr, who also has been very supportive in giving the

counselors a free hand to do whatever they need to do to

organize these efforts, they said.

Signs are

up on the walls in the hallways at the school, and

students are autographing them so that they can be taken

to Kerry this weekend.

Students

also have been encouraged to send messages of support to

the wrestler who was competing against Ruffin when he was

injured, Greenhaw said.

Ruffin is

now at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where he is in

good condition, according to spokesperson Kim Lathbury.

He was injured at the fifth vertebrae, just below the

neck.

"He

has some movement in his arms, and some feeling in his

legs," she said.

He was

scheduled to begin therapy yesterday, and his intensive

rehabilitation starts next week.

It is not

certain yet how long he will be at Shepherd, but Lathbury

said that the average stay is four to eight weeks,

depending upon the severity of the injuries.