Posted 10:42 pm Monday, January 14, 2013
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East Texas students ride, run, skate, scoot for Sandy victims
Staff Reports
Students at the Innovation Academy at The University of Texas at Tyler got creative recently as they learned about natural disasters and how to help people in need.
Third- through sixth-graders at the three East Texas campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine raised $6,000 combined through various fundraising activities last month.
Tyler students organized an "Innovation-a-thon" in which students biked, ran, skated and scootered for the cause, according to an Innovation Academy news release.
The campus' 130 students raised more than $2,400 for the American Red Cross.
Palestine students had a Natural Disaster Awareness and Preparedness Carnival.
Guests donated canned food items, new toys, and/or cash to purchase tickets, according to the news release.
They then used the tickets to participate in student-designed booths where boys and girls persuaded them donate, informed them about natural disasters, and entertained them.
Students raised more than $1,000 through the project in addition to the toy and food donations.
Documentaries about the event, which were created by the students, will be used to help other students learn about these natural disasters and how they can get involved in preparedness and response, according to the news release.
At the Longview campus, students organized and implemented multiple fundraising events such as movie nights, coffee sales, bake sales, lemonade stands, car washes, Xbox 360 competitions and even caroling for a cause, according to the news release.
The 60 students raised more than $2,600 to be donated to the Red Cross and schools with students affected by Hurricane Sandy.
Some students continued to fundraise even after the projects were complete.
