Tropical Picken Chicken seeks bigger truck to haul donations to Puerto Rico

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- It's a good problem to have, but it's a problem nonetheless. The donation drive for Puerto Rico hurricane victims at Raleigh's Tropical Picken Chicken has been so overwhelmingly successful, the owner doesn't have a truck large enough to fit all the donated supplies.

Owner Randy Hernandez put out the call for help with donations and customers and community members answered; it's been a steady stream of people with arms full of toiletries, hand sanitizer, clothing, batteries, paper towels, and water.

But, here's the problem: Hernandez only has a 14-foot truck that he was planning to use to drive all the supplies to the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Office in Kissimmee, Florida. From there, they would be shipped to Puerto Rico.

Hernandez is hoping someone from the community with access to a larger truck will step forward to help. If not, he's betting on one of his food vendors to lend a hand.

"We do have a lot of vendors that go back and forth from Miami to here," Hernandez said. "We get most of our products from Miami. So, I'm hoping one of my vendors will join in and donate some time and donate their truck and on the way back from Miami, take everything with them."

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He wasn't born in Puerto Rico, but his parents were, and he's hoping to make a small impact to help in the worst crisis the island has seen in a century.

In the meantime, Hernandez is still accepting donations at these locations:

• Tropical Picken Chicken - 404 E. Six Forks Road, Raleigh

• Tropical Picken Chicken - 109 Capcom Avenue, Wake Forest

• Empanada Factory - 2010 Main Street, Wake Forest