Comfort for Tri Center Schools' Tornado Victims

We all did it! Thank you so much to each and every one of you who donated and shared our post. It's amazing to see people come together to help others in a time of need. With the help of some donors outside of GoFundMe, we have exceeded our goal. :)

After seeing the devastation caused by the tornadoes throughout the Midwest, we wanted to do something to bring comfort to the kids affected. Cozy and fuzzy were the items that comforted our family after the Pilger, Nebraska tornadoes 10 years ago.

We are hoping to provide that comfort and send a message that someone is thinking of them to the students and staff at Tri Center Schools which serves the families who live in Minden, Iowa. You’ll find the breakdown of what we hope to accomplish.

We will start by raising for Preschool - 5th grade.

Once we meet that goal, we will proceed to 5th-12 grade.

Ultimately, we would love to provide for both grade groups and the staff.

Total Goal: $7,660.89

$7.39 Supports one Preschool-5th Grader

$10.02 Supports one 6th-12 Grader or Staff Member

The money donated to this fundraiser will be used to purchase stuffed animal and blankets for the students and staff at Tri Center Schools. Hayley’s mom, Teena, has been in contact with the Tri Center Elementary Principal. Together, our family will be driving the animals and blankets to hand deliver them to the school. As a family full of teachers, we felt the best way to help was to give to the students and staff.

My family is from Nebraska and Iowa. We have already been in contact with the elementary principal at the Tri Center Schools.

The Backstory:

My family went through the Pilger tornadoes 10 years ago. We received a ton of help and support from people, and we wanted to do something to give back to people who are going through the same situation.

What we want to do:

I teach online Geometry in Grand Island. My mom and sister both teach elementary in West Point, and we decided we wanted to give back! We chose to donate to Tri Center Schools which is the district that serves the students in Minden, IA. (The school is in the town next to Minden and did NOT get hit by the tornado. We felt going through the school would be the easiest way to distribute our donations to the kids.) So far, we have raised enough to donate a Warmies stuffed animal to every Preschool-5th grader (371 students). We are so close to our next goal of providing a fuzzy blanket to all students in 6th - 12th grade. The blankets are $10.02. As teachers we love our students something fierce! Once we have the students covered, we are hoping to provide a blanket to all staff members to show they are being thought of, too as we know they are doing so much for their students during this time.

My mom has been in contact with the elementary principal. We will be driving the stuffed animals and blankets to the school before the end of the year.

Thank you so much for considering - We really appreciate it!

Hear my mom talk about our fundraiser on the radio here:Radio Interview