Hardeman students help lead local efforts for Haiti earthquake relief

To assist Haiti in recovering from the effects of the Jan. 12 earthquake, local schools, organizations and churches have gotten involved in fundraising efforts.

A Hardeman R-X School District fundraiser that ended Friday, Jan. 29, raised $1,545.55 to donate to Haitian relief efforts, said Principal Kristy Forrester.

She issued a challenge to her students and staff to raise $500 during the seven school days of fundraising, and the school's student council pledged to match up to $500 worth of donations, she said.

"On the first day," she said, "the students and staff at Hardeman raised $432."

The fundraiser was a little different than might be expected. Instead of soliciting donations from family members, students and teachers made donations to allow them certain privileges, such as donating $3 to wear pajamas for a day, $2 to wear a hat, or $1 to drink a soda in class, said Forrester.

"We had different little incentives so they, too, could get something out of what they're doing," Forrester said.

She added, "In my heart of hearts, I know the kids would probably have given no matter what, and would probably have raised just as much no matter what, but this was a way to pay them back for contribution."

The school also had some donations from students' families and neighbors, said Forrester.

Some students are also making and selling Valentine's Day-themed lollipops, the proceeds from which will be donated to a Haitian relief fund.

Members of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a national organization with a Haitian relief fundraising goal of $3 million, have said they will match any funds donated that came from lollipop sales, up to $200. Lollipop sales have already passed the $200 mark, said Forrester, bringing the total amount raised to at least $1,945.55.

In Marshall, Southeast Elementary School Principal Rendy Maupin passed flyers around to other elementary school administrators suggesting that each school take the collected Box Tops for Education, found on boxes of General Mills products from Cheerios to Hamburger Helper to Kleenex, and donate the 10 cents schools receive for each box top to Haitian relief efforts.

All four elementary schools are participating in the collection effort. Although schools collect box tops all year long, the ones that will be used to fund donations to the American Red Cross International Relief Fund are those turned in to school officials through Friday, Feb. 26.

As of Thursday morning, Feb. 4, nearly $200 worth of box tops had been turned in at Southeast School, said Suzie Stallings, receptionist.

At Missouri Valley College, a week's worth of students' loose change amounted to $60, said Student Activities Coordinator Emily Skellet. This money will be donated to the American Red Cross.

The Slater Ministerial Alliance has opened a bank account with State Bank of Slater into which anyone may deposit funds.

At the end of February, all funds in that account will be donated to a yet-to-be-determined relief fund.

Ruth Duncan of the Slater Ministerial Alliance said that many people want to make relatively small donations to Haitian relief, but have difficulty identifying organizations with low enough overhead to pass along most of the donations they receive.

Duncan explained that the alliance wants to donate to a relief fund specifically created to help Haiti recover from the effects of the earthquake, rather than a larger organization with higher overhead.

She also said that the account will not benefit the Slater Ministerial Alliance in any monetary way, and it was only done as the Slater Ministerial Alliance because "when we say it's going to go to (Haitian relief efforts), people know it is."

Duncan added that several churches involved in the Slater Ministerial Alliance have already made individual donations.

A group of high school students will sponsor a Super Bowl Spaghetti Dinner at First Christian Church in Marshall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, according to a St. Peter Catholic Church bulletin. Proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross for Haitian relief.

Local chapters of national organizations, such as Lions Clubs International, are taking part in nationwide fundraising efforts. According to a news release from the organization, 100 percent of funds donated through www.lcif.org/donate will be passed along to Haitian relief efforts.

Although an accurate count is impossible at this time, The New York Times reported Thursday, Jan. 28, that the earthquake killed about 200,000 people and left almost one million homeless of the nine million who lived in Haiti -- the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, according to www.cia.gov -- before the quake.

Haiti ended its search for survivors Tuesday, Jan. 23, reported BBC News.

Contact Geoff Rands at marshallreporter@socket.net