SD DOE Press Release

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For Immediate Release: Nov. 8, 2005
Contact: Mary Stadick Smith - (605) 773-7228

South Dakota schools raise funds for Katrina relief

South Dakota schools raised $24,061.45 through the Department of Education’s Kids for Katrina Relief fund-raising initiative. The money will go to Louisiana schools most impacted by the storm.

“Immediately following Katrina, we were getting calls from schools wanting to help the teachers and students in Louisiana and Mississippi,” said Dr. Rick Melmer, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Education. “After talking with our counterparts in the affected areas, we created Kids for Katrina Relief, so that our schools could be certain their dollars would go directly to Louisiana’s schools, teachers and students.”

The money raised through Kids for Katrina Relief will go to a fund set up by Louisiana’s Superintendent of Education Cecil J. Picard. The fund matches monetary donations with the needs of school systems affected by the storm.

Launched in mid-September, Kids for Katrina Relief ran throughout October. Participating schools used a variety of activities, ranging from bake sales to penny drives, to raise funds.

Participating schools/districts and organizations (as of Nov. 7) included the following:

Bison Elementary School

Castlewood Ministerial Association and School District

Central High School, Aberdeen

DeSmet School District

Geddes School District

Hill City School District

Hitchcock-Tulare Elementary School

Hot Springs School District

Hoven Elementary School

Hurley School District

Lead-Deadwood: Lead-Deadwood Elementary School, Lead-Deadwood Middle and High Schools

Madison: Madison Elementary Schools (Lincoln and Washington), Madison Middle School

Meade School District

Mitchell: G.B. Rogers Elementary School, L.B. Williams Elementary School, Longfellow Elementary School, Mitchell Middle School

Mt. Vernon High School (Student Council)

Rapid City: Grandview Elementary School, Pinedale Elementary School, Southwest Middle School

Sanborn Central School District

Sioux Valley School District (FCCLA Chapter)

Wagner School District

Webster School District

In addition to the schools listed above, a number of schools ran their own fund-raising efforts and sent the dollars to a charitable organization or directly to a particular school.

“We want to congratulate all of the schools out there that raised funds or collected supplies for the schools affected by Katrina and Rita,” Melmer said. “We know that there were many efforts, beyond our initiative, going on. All of these students and teachers should be extremely proud of their efforts.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Local media are encouraged to contact participating schools/districts to arrange for a photo opportunity.