Missouri Tornado: Schools Statewide Get Creative In Helping Joplin

Schools throughout Missouri are going beyond traditional fundraisers to help victims of the E-F5 tornado in Joplin that took the lives of 125 at last count.

Seventy miles east of Joplin, about half of the Springfield School District announced plans to offer aid, according to the News-Leader. Third-graders at the district's Roundtree Elementary turned their photography exhibition, "Visual Media Promotes Social Change," into an auction to raise money for tornado victims.

At Springfield's Field Elementary, fifth-graders were already studying a unit called "Help is on the Way," which looks at how relief organizations support needy areas. They've now challenged every classroom to raise $200.

Teacher Nicki Foltz tells the News-Leader it's been a learning experience:

"Even though they're kids, even though they're little, they can make a difference," she said. "They can make a change in the world."

A number of Springfield schools are also organizing opt-in donation activities, KSPR reports. Cherokee Middle School, for example, will allow kids to use iPods during lunch if they donate $1 to the school's fundraiser Jammin' For Joplin.

In Carthage, Mo., the high school voted to donate more than $12,000 of the funds they had raised for their graduation party, according to the school website.

Missouri's Willard School District has called on the 4,200-student district to fill a truck with donations. Superintendent Kent Medlin tells the the News-Leader they're gathering blankets, clothing, baby supplies, food and water.

"A plea for assistance and supplies has went out from the Joplin community and the Willard Chamber of Commerce is organizing a very quick response drive for donations...This is one small way that we can help this effort."

See HuffPost's list of ways you can help Joplin. Aid can also be sent through the links below.

Comments

[dlfhuffpost]

05:37 AM on 05/29/2011

(Part 2 of 2)

While underneath very desirable living communities flourish utilizing people-movers like Walt Disney imagined and brought to life in Disneyland and Disney World. Downtown Atlanta, GA already has had such a subterranean environment for over thirty years. Protected above ground parking structures for exhaust-free living. Utilizing new technology water, electrical and refuse systems. San Francisco has impressive subterranean space structures worth researching as well.

The job potential would be tremendous and could grow across the nation where weather patterns dictate a need in a dampened economy. To not let this dream become an outlandish venture, but instead a reasonable and practical concept, where naysayers are countered with sound optimism and support by factual data to substantiate the real possibility.

This reminds me of the U.S. Air Force radio ads reflecting on the Wright brothers and that our nation has thrived on dreamers with insights for our landscapes of tomorrow. Please reconsider applying the peace proposal in http://LSDexitOzAmerica.org and turn the Sahara sieve of our financial resources into a more localized domestic investment. By chance have you ever heard a mockingbird ... http://listenusa.com/MockingbirdBird.html.

Memorial Day respects and the birthday celebration of our late visionary President John F. Kennedy,

dlfhuffpost

[dlfhuffpost]

05:21 AM on 05/29/2011

May 29, 2011 (Part 1 0f 2)

President Barack Obama
The White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov

Dear President Obama,

I am writing to submit an idea for the White House Suggestion Box of developing in your large-scale public works projects of a plan to present during the upcoming NBA Championships timeframe. Thumbnail sketches bringing forth major subterranean redevelopments in cities such as Joplin, MO and Tuscaloosa, AL that were severely devastated by as big as a half-mile wide tornadoes. Playing off of tornado alley and hurricane ravaged regions such as Dallas, TX and Miami, FL are amidst. To present artistic, architectural color renderings of what heavy, earthmoving Caterpillar-type equipment can start making way for to rebuild storm-torn American cities. So that they won’t get wiped out any longer by such catastrophic storms.

Have engineers design and present prototypes of feasible sites where berms and hills can be created from the relocated soil that can house wind turbine generators, where tornadoes that don’t climb hills can be constructed to provide the necessary energy needed to supply the subterranean communities. Considering how large does the hill and steepness of grade have to be to detour such foreboding funnels. To take on potential storm regions that can be made to not be as vulnerable. By developing bucolic, countryside parks and golf courses, sports fields and recreation areas on the ground surfaces.

[hottingers]

08:35 PM on 05/26/2011

And these people aren't worrying about what is in it for them before giving to Joplin the way the Repub congress did.

[Tbreese]

07:57 PM on 05/26/2011

Cherokee Middle School collected $1400 today while Jammin For Joplin! Way to go students and staff!

[azxff]

06:33 PM on 05/26/2011

I live in Carthage and work for the County. We have been overwhelmed with the tragedy. Nevertheless the young man who lives next door and who graduated Monday made a point of coming over and telling me about there donation of their graduation party money. He was very proud of it and he spent an hour trying to get me to take him to Joplin to help the crews the next morning. These kids are something more than special. I can't speak for how young people are elsewhere, but these kids from our mostly rural County are an inspiration.

[sjcarl]

06:23 PM on 05/26/2011

University of Missouri selling t shirts to raise money. http://www.mutigers.com/genrel/052411aad.html And gathering donations and sending volunteers.