Doing Good in School: DFW Students Fundraising for Disaster Relief

by Micaela Rosinski, intern contributor 

Big thanks to Curtis Middle School students who
raised money for Red Cross disaster relief!

In the midst of a scary and destructive storm season, youth around the Dallas-Fort Worth area wanted to help those around them in crisis. Students of all ages got creative and found ways to raise money to help the Red Cross bring relief to those in need.

A group of eighth grade students at Curtis Middle School in Allen teamed together to raise money for Red Cross disaster relief. Allison Corona Del Cid, a student at the middle school, headed the fundraising efforts. 

“We started just taking money out of our wallets. In one day we already had around a hundred bucks,” Corona Del Cid said. “We were like, ‘Hey, if we keep doing this, you know, we can really make a difference.’”

She said they began making lists of different events they could host to get as many people as possible involved. The students had a variety of different sales to raise money, such as bake sales and candy sales. Corona Del Cid said they even created incentives to motivate classmates.

“We started giving more and more money, and we made it a little competition between our classes to make people want it more,” Corona Del Cid said.

The efforts of Curtis students were successful as $2,200 was given to the Red Cross.

Fossil Ridge High School students raised more than
$3000 for disaster relief!

At Fossil Ridge High School in Keller, students and faculty collaborated to put a different kind of donation drive into action. The drive was the brain-child of the school’s principal, David Hadley, and Hillary White, a FRHS AVID teacher. The drive was named “Thanks Not Pranks” in an attempt to deter students from committing end-of-year pranks, and help those in need instead.

“We wanted to put the words [Thanks Not Pranks] into action,” White said. “I asked about helping the tornado victims and Mr. Hadley said as long as it is good for kids, we can do it.”

White said she chose the Red Cross to receive the donation because she knows the work of the organization and she has seen them in action.

With the whole school involved, everyone from students, faculty, staff and even school organizations raised money. Spencer Strong, a junior at FRHS, put her musical talents to use and raised funds by playing people songs.

“I’ve seen people on television play and sing,” Strong said. “So, I decided to try it, too.”

Strong’s efforts allowed her to raise $160 to put towards the “Thanks Not Pranks” campaign. As a whole, participants at Fossil Ridge raised over $3,000 for the Red Cross, which goes toward providing food, water, relief supplies, health services and emotional support for disaster victims.

In Arlington, students at Goodman Elementary School collected enough change to purchase a $67 Lowe’s gift card for the Red Cross to purchase relief supplies to assist tornado victims. Students also took time to create cards and drawings in addition to the financial donation.

“I had gone out to speak at the school about the Red Cross,” said Lilly Watson, communications manager at the Dallas Red Cross. “One of their questions was what children could do for the Red Cross.” 

Watson suggested a coin collection or lemonade sale. After receiving a call that $67 had been raised, Watson said the students were excited and had worked very hard to pull their change together.

During these times of disasters in the area, it has become evident that children and adults of all ages can help those in need and make a difference. You can join in Red Cross relief efforts by making a donation at redcross.org, texting REDCROSS to 90999 or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS. Our sincerest thanks for everyone who has already made a difference by donating.

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A Coke Will Do: Small Pieces of Comfort Delivered in Granbury, Texas

by Tonya Solis-Mosby, volunteer contributor

Sometimes in disaster it’s a small thing that gives you the push to go on, like a cold soft drink. That’s what Fay Adams wanted as she worked in 90-degree weather with her daughter, Cynthia Burns, to pick up the pieces of her daughter’s life after a devastating tornado struck the Rancho Brazos community of Granbury two weeks ago.

As American Red Cross workers passed the structure that was once Burns’ house, they offered Gatorade or water. While Burns accepted water, Mrs. Adams said she’d “do anything” for a soft drink. Anita Foster, chief communications officer, went to her vehicle for personal bag where she retrieved a Coke Zero. 

“You’re a woman after my own heart,” Adams said as a smile began to cross her face for the first time that day.

Burns was one of many residents of the community who was at home when the storm hit. She described the night as “horrifying,” adding that she and her husband were in their bedroom when the bedroom wall was ripped away exposing them to the outside elements. 

“I crawled to the bathroom,” she said. “He was trying to come but he couldn’t because something fell on him.” She said before the wall was blown away, she was holding their pet Chihuahua who jumped from her arms when the wall broke. The dog ran outside. She said they later found the deceased dog under a tree limb in the front yard.

In the two weeks since the tornado outbreak that also hit Cleburne and other areas in North Texas, the Red Cross has provided 176 overnight stays at shelters for displaced residents, served nearly 30,000 meals and snacks and distributed more than 10,000 relief items such as work gloves, rakes & trash bags. Additionally, licensed Red Cross disaster mental health counselors have had more than 650 conversations with residents to help them cope. The people of Rancho Brazos are still hurting, but they’re feeling the support of the Red Cross and others around them who want to reach out in ways that mean comfort and hope, be it a warm hug or a cold bottle of Coke.

Nearly 240 Red Cross disaster workers have worked on the relief operation in North Texas and hundreds more continue to work in Oklahoma. If you would like to help, you can make a donation to American Red Cross Disaster Relief today. Text REDCROSS to 90999 to give a $10 donation that will be charged to your cellphone bill. You can also call 1-800-RED-CROSS or donate online at redcross.org. 

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