From Oct. 7-11, State High’s student government has been leading the way with fundraising for those affected by Hurricane Helene.
This tropical cyclone produced a wide course of damage that spread through northwestern Florida, and made landfall to North Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia, causing many lives to be lost. Flooding and high winds killed more than 230 people, making it the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Maria in 2017. Estimates about the economic impact of the storm, including infrastructure and property damage, state the cost as high as $200 billion.
State High’s student government took action, starting a flash fundraiser. Members of student government attended all lunches where they encouraged and accepted cash donations from any students. Emails were also sent out by principal Laura Tobias, informing students of the fundraiser.
Student Government Vice President Raya Wolyniec described the goal of flash fundraisers. “Our main goal for flash fundraisers at State High is to get as much aid to people as fast as possible, hence the name flash fundraiser. These are usually not planned throughout the year and are instead brought up when disasters/crises arise. Each person on the board has a role in getting the word out by emails, announcements, posters, etc. in order to reach the maximum number of students as quickly as possible!” Wolyniec said via email.
This specific fundraiser for Hurricane Helene sent donations directly to the Red Cross Relief fund.
Wolyniec shared that the Red Cross “…is on the frontlines helping those affected by the hurricane recover. The money will not only help the survivors recover but will enable the Red Cross to better prepare for the disaster. The Red Cross will put the money towards meals, shelter, medical visits, and more for those affected,” Wolyniec said via email.
This is not the first time State High’s student government has helped when people are in need.
President Luca Snyder provided insight into the student government’s purpose and role.
“Student Government works to represent student interests and concerns, from in-school issues to global. With such a large school population, many of our students have personal connections to the problems we see in the world. Thus, it is the student government’s responsibility to create opportunities for our school community to act on their concerns surrounding, in this case, natural disasters,” Snyder said via email.
The resources available at State High give it the ability to make large impacts.
“If we were to face a hurricane like Helene or Milton, we would be able to recover quickly. As a school of such stability, we have a duty to support those without it,” Snyder said via email.
Student government flash fundraisers are very successful due to one-dollar donations. Having 2400 students will continue to help our school raise money for future fundraisers. Through the words of Snyder, “Don’t underestimate what your small action can do when backed by the rest of our school. Everything counts!”
