SPRINGDALE— Students at Hellstern Middle School are learning about helping others by fundraising for schools damaged in Moore, Okla., the school incoming principal said Friday.
Todd Loftin, incoming principal, asked students for ideas of how they could help children affected by the tornado that hit Moore on Monday. He ended up with a pile of ideas on his desk, he said.
They decided to have a hat day called “Get A-head Day” on Thursday where students paid $1 to wear a hat at school, Loftin said. Students aren’t normally allowed to wear hats at school. They are also selling ice pops to other students for 50 cents each, he said.
Another student decided to donate $500 she won through a writing contest, according to Tammy Tyler, counselor at Hellstern.
The students also held a donation drive Friday morning when parents dropped off children. Students stood in the street wearing neon-colored vests. They used their hats from the day before to collect donations.
Jack Lisle, seventh-grader, got involved with the fundraising because the students in Moore are going through a hard time, he said. The situation reminded him of the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Mo., and made him want to help, he said.
“You have to give more than you get,” he said.
Caroline Rhodes, seventh-grader, got involved because she wanted to make a difference in the lives of the children in Moore, she said.
“They’ve lost everything, and they need a little help and support,” she said.
Parents reached out of their car windows and dropped money into the students’ hats. The students ran back and forth dropping money from their hats into a large cloth bag.
At A Glance (w/logo)
Moore Aid
Springdale Schools raising money to help schools in Moore, Okla.:
• Hellstern Middle School
• Young Elementary School
• Hunt Elementary School
• Law Academy at Springdale High School
Source: Staff Report
The parents responded positively when he asked them for donations, Jack said.
This type of fundraiser teaches students character building and to give back to their community, said Hope Feiner, parent of a Hellstern student.
This type of reaction is normal for the Springdale community when there’s a disaster, said Chuck Parret, a school resource officer for Springdale High School. Parret came to the fundraiser after being invited by Loftin, he said.
It’s surreal and humbling because the students are helping people they don’t know, Parret said.
“This town really does rally around when we do stuff like this,” he said.
The students raised $2,358 from the hat day, ice pop sale, $500 donation and the Friday morning fundraiser, Tyler said. They will give the money to Plaza Towers Elementary School, destroyed by the tornado, and Briarwood Elementary School, which was heavily damaged, in Moore, Loftin said. They will request that the money be used to help students who were affected by the tornado, he said.