Socorro students respond to flooding
August 19, 2006
The school year is young, but charity is at full throttle at area campuses such as Socorro High, where students using a variety of fundraisers have scrambled to help the victims of recent flooding.
Written by Michael D. Hernandez, El Paso Times
The school year is young, but charity is at full throttle at area campuses such as Socorro High, where students using a variety of fundraisers have scrambled to help the victims of recent flooding. At Socorro High School, students swung into action as soon as they learned that so many families throughout the county had been affected by the flooding, which prompted President Bush on Tuesday to declare a major disaster in El Paso.
"Right after the floods, we had students asking us what we were planning to do to help people and what they could do," said Socorro High School junior Martha Valdillez, who is vice president of her school's student council.
Students from Socorro High are donating $1 each, with teachers contributing $5 each, to a collection organized by the school's Media Technology program and student council meant to raise $4,000 that will be given to the American Red Cross' West Texas/New Mexico Flood Relief fund.
The endeavor has hit close to home because some Socorro High classmates were directly affected by the storms.
The flooding has also united the Lower Valley school and motivated countless acts of selflessness, teachers said.
"We decided to help out in any way we could. (We) called our cadet commander at night, and the next morning at 7:30 a.m. we had 12 cadets out filling sandbags on a Sunday," said Master Sgt. William Lunday, who helps command the school's JROTC.
Though filling the sandbags seemed like grueling work, it was also fun because it helped people most in need, said Socorro High senior Jacky Hernandez, the program's cadet battalion commander.
Through August, members of the Socorro High JROTC program are collecting canned food, toiletries and baby products, which they will donate to the American Red Cross and a food bank.
And on Aug. 27, members of the school's fire science technology program are slated to help clean a neighborhood near Rio Vista Road and distribute water and donated clothing to resident there.
The program is also collecting school supplies for students in Canutillo.
"Those little kids out there were just trying to start school and have been having a pretty hard time," said Jose Olivas, who leads the fire science technology program.
Students at Montwood, Americas and El Dorado high schools have also launched fundraisers to help residents affected by the flooding.
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