Along with the community, local schools in Oxford are also chipping in to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina get back to a somewhat normal life.
Students at Clear Lake Elementary donated $1 or more to wear a hat last Wednesday.
Tall hats and fuzzy wigs were seen throughout the hallways along with baseball caps in the classrooms.
Fifth grader Zachary Floyd decided to give more than a dollar to wear his hat. He generously donated $100 of his own birthday money to the American Red Cross.
He said he ‘didn’t have to think? about where he would spend the money.
Students at Oxford Middle School also pitched in $1 to wear a hat on Wednesday. Some teachers even doubled what the students brought in.
Stephanie Brevik, a Spanish teacher at OMS, decided to get the school involved even further by participating in the ‘Do Something? organization.
‘Do Something’s? mission is to inspire, support and celebrate young people changing the world.
They’ve created a campaign geared specifically towards the hurricane relief effort called ‘We’ve Got Your Back,? which was created to support the many students who are expected to continue their education amidst the devastation.
‘We’ve Got Your Back? is asking students to bring in one new or gently used backpack and stuff it with school supplies, like freshly sharpened pencils, notebooks, crayons and markers among other items.
Students can also bring in calculators and a friendly note to the student receiving the backpack, but they are optional.
The items will be collected in the boxes inside the front entrance of OMS through September 23.
Full backpacks, empty backpacks or just supplies will be accepted.
Collecting money for a good cause can be fun. Just ask Barbara Johnston’s fourth-grade class at Oxford Elementary.
They decided to make every day in September a special day to raise money for the hurricane victims.
Only they’re not raising money for the Red Cross.
Their organization of choice is Noah’s Wish. A non-profit, animal welfare organization that reunites owners with their pets during natural disasters.
The organization has been flooded with animals ever since the hurricane hit and they need all the help they can get.
This cause was considered very important to Johnston’s students, like Alixzandra Jyawook.
‘Some people don’t want to leave without their pets and now pets are wandering around Louisiana,? she said.
Noah’s Wish was founded in 2002, and has set up a Disaster Animal Shelter in conjunction with the Slidell Animal Control in the city of Slidell, Louisiana, just north of New Orleans.
The rescue team has 75 volunteers, two veterinarians and two veterinary technicians working ’round the clock since the disaster.
According to their website, as of September 5, over 269 animals have been rescued and more continue to flow in.
Johnston said her class was eager to help this cause and established a monthly calendar, featuring school spirit days and ice cream days, which were chosen by the students.
Students are only asked to bring in one quarter, or anything they can afford, to participate.
Johnston’s jar of donations is sitting on her desk and is pretty full right now. We can’t wait to see it at the end of the month.
Keep up the good work!