Many of Broward County’s public schools have begun fundraising efforts with the monies raised earmarked for charitable organizations, including The Salvation Army, the American Red Cross and the United Way. Emergency management officials have indicated that as of now, it is better to raise money so the organizations who are on the ground helping those affected by the storm can use the money to buy what is most needed.

UPDATED INFORMATION (9/26/05)

• To help families who have relocated from the Gulf Coast to Broward County, the District’s Administrative Offices have begun a Gift Card Drive. Employees who want to help are asked to purchase a gift card (suggested $25 minimum) to grocery, drug and department stores (i.e. Sears, JC Penny, WalMart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Publix, Winn-Dixie.) These card will then be distributed to the families who have enrolled children in schools – more than 100 students have enrolled so far.

  The drive started on Monday, September 19th and the Pupil Transportation Department has already made a significant contribution. The department had already begun a fundraising drive that was going to benefit the American Red Cross. Well, they decided to take some of the funds raised and purchase gift cards for the families.

  How much did they raise? Well, those employees raised more than $12,000, with about $2,000 going toward the gift card drive.

• The students and parents at Coconut Palm Elementary in Miramar proved their generosity during the “Have a Heart for Hurricane Relief” campaign.  Each student was given a red heart poster to take home covered with circles.  They were asked to cover the circles with coins, preferably quarters.  Each heart totaled $5.00. With an overwhelming response, the school was able to raise $5,208.06!
  
  In addition, the staff participated in the “Jeans Day” fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina Relief. Faculty and staff alike donated at least $10 each for the opportunity to flaunt their best jeans for a great cause!  The total money raised was $1,425. 
  
  The school will be presenting the American Red Cross with a check for $6,453.06, thanks to the efforts of the Coconut Palm Elementary family!
  
  
• Piper High School in Sunrise has conducted several activities to raise money for hurricane relief.
1. "The Power of One" –  Piper's goal was to have each student and staff member contribute one dollar to be donated to the relief fund for the victims of Hurricane Katrina; the total would be just over $3,000 and each person that contributed was to receive a blue wristband as a sign of unity and support.  However, the school exceeded that goal and collected over $4,200 to assist in the relief efforts.
2. "Bengal's Bark" was started where one dollar is collected for each set of Mardi Gras beads sold.  This money will be donated to the Humane Society of Broward County to help with the costs of caring for those animals displaced by the hurricane.
3. The Health and Human Services Academy has organized a "Shoebox Project" for children in shelters.  Students have brought in shoeboxes, filled them with necessities (toiletries) and luxuries (crayons, small toys), decorated them and written notes of hope and friendship.  This is an ongoing project

• Students at Nova High School in Davie have been collecting hygiene products to create Titan Treasure Boxes.  These boxes are being donated to Food for the Poor, an organization that will take truckloads of supplies to the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina.  Also, Nova High is participating in the Beads for Needs program, selling out its first shipment and eagerly awaiting a second shipment. 
  
  The student body is also helping the relief efforts by donating $5 from every homecoming ticket sold.  The desire to help the families hit by Katrina is also something shared by the faculty, as they have donated clothing, household items and non-perishable food items to the American Red Cross.

• A parent leader has organized the Backpack Buddies program at Nova Eisenhower, Nova Blanche Foreman and Hollywood Hills elementary schools. The schools held a school supply drive and they will fill the backpacks with age-appropriate supplies needed. Once the backpacks are filled, they will be transported to the Houston, Texas school district.
  
  Along with this effort, Nova Eisenhower raised over $1,000 selling Mardi Gras beads, with the proceeds being donated to the  American Red Cross.

• Margate Elementary organized a Relief Walk.  The school is conducting this walk through P.E. classes, where all students walk a mile in honor of the hurricane's victims.  Each student received a pledge form where they log donations from sponsors. The school raised more than $1,000 in just a week! The funds raised will be donated to the American Red Cross. Our Proud Panthers are showing that we live our motto of "Excellence Through Caring." 
  
• Challenger Elementary, located in Tamarac, through the PTA, organized a fundraiser called "Change for the Children."   Families and businesses in the community have been encouraged to donate.  Each classroom has a large empty water cooler container that the students in the class have decorated.  Students are requested to bring in change to put in the containers as donations to help the children who are victims of Hurricane Katrina.  The school will be collecting donations for two weeks. 
  
• Cypress Bay High’s Student Government Association has collected $2,595 in donations. Through Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT), the freshmen annex collected over 2,700 lbs of food and baby supplies, which were donated to the American Red Cross and the Cooperative Feeding Center.  They are serving about 600 people who have relocated to Broward from the affected areas in the Gulf.
  
  For the next two weeks, SGA is  also participating in the Beads for Needs project, which consists of selling Mardi Gras beads and donating all proceeds to the hurricane victims.
  
• Tamarac Elementary, through the PTA, will become the “Tamarac House of Blues.”  The schools has a uniform policy in place where  students are not allowed to wear blue jeans on a daily basis.  Students will have an opportunity to wear blue jeans while helping to assist in this worthwhile cause.  Any student donating at least $1 will be allowed to wear blue jeans to school on Friday, September 30th.  In addition, staff members who would like to wear blue jeans may also make a donation.
  
• The Walter C. Young Middle National Junior Honor Society initiated a fundraising activity for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina called “Jeans for New Orleans”.  Our students raised $6,255.35 in three days by donating their lunch money, their allowance, and their savings so they could wear jeans on Friday, September 19th.

• Forest Glen Middle in Coral springs will be holding a benefit concert for the victims of New Orleans on Thursday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m. in the school's cafeteria. The chorus and drama departments are going to play a big role, and a special piece of music is being written in dedication to the victims and will perform the song "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans", and a piece titled "New Orleans Strut." There will be no charge to get into the concert but donations will be accepted at the door, with the proceeds going towards the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

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UPDATED INFORMATION (9/12/05)

• The District Advisory Council (DAC) held a fundraising event at their annual kick off breakfast event. The idea came from the DAC Advisor at Lauderhill Middle School, and was based on the “Have a Heart” campaign. Board members, district staff, business and community representatives as well as the parent volunteers that are part of the county-wide DAC contributed to the almost $3,800 collected for this donation.
  
  Please see the "Getting Involved" page of the District's Web site to learn how parents and community can get involved with the education of Broward's students.
  
  
• Flamingo Elementary in Davie is promoting the District’s Character Education traits and started the "Giving For The Gulf Coast" collection. The event started Thursday, September 8th and will run through Thursday, September 22nd.  This program  will allow students to make an unselfish act of kindness for the people in need. Cash donations are being accepted throughout the next two weeks. Each classroom will have a collection bucket for students to  deposit their donations. All proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.

• Students at New Renaissance Middle inMiramar have been very busy, raising money for hurricane relief. The principal set a school-wide goal of raising $2,000 to support the hurricane victims.  The students responded overwhelmingly with money from their saving accounts, allowances and other resources to help the suffering families.  There were a number of students who gave over $150, and even one student who found $100 on his way to school and decided to donate the money to the relief effort.  The students competed by grade level for an appreciation party to reward them for their efforts. And when all was said and done, the students raised a whopping $7,244.71!

• On Friday, September 2nd the students and staff at Hollywood Hills High conducted a "Day of Giving."  Students and staff contributed $1,956 during the school day, which will be donated to the American Red Cross.

• The Student Council at Silver Trail Middle in Pembroke Pines helped coordinate a drive where all first-period classes collected donations. In addition, donations were made during the school’s Open House. Over a two-day period, the school raised over $6,500 that has been donated to the American Red Cross.

Their efforts didn’t stop there.

The school’s National Junior Honor Society sold Mardi Gras beads as part of the “Beads for Needs” program on Friday, September 9. And when the school day ended, the kids sold the beads at the PTA-sponsored dance, which was another place people could make donations. And as if that’s wasn’t enough, the school also hosted a blood drive until 7 p.m. 

• Silver Palms Elementary in Pembroke Pines has a whole host of activities and events. They include:
  
• CASH-Collection Jars placed in the main hallway for the American Red Cross (Students are encouraged to do extra jobs at home for fees that can be donated.) Event is scheduled for Monday, September 12th through Friday, September 23rd.
  
• Collection of Hygiene Kits, preferably in a 1/2 gallon-sized Ziplock bag containing unused: toothbrush and regular-sized toothpaste; deodorant; soap; shampoo; travel-size wet wipes (Individual items will also be accepted.)
  
• PTA Baked Cookie Sale
  A student can order a large chocolate chip cookie, pay $0.50 cents, and have it delivered to him/her in the classroom for a mid-morning snack on the same day. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, September 21st.
  
• Blood Drive for persons 18 years of age and older
  Scheduled for October 7th (Teacher Planning Day) from  9 a.m. - 1:30  p.m.

• At Sawgrass Springs Middle Coral Springs, students collected over $2,600 so far and they haven't finished yet.  The school will be selling Mardi Gras beads the week of September 12th to raise even more money.  And one of the parents has made arrangements for her employer, American Express, to partner with the school and match the total funds collected, which will be donated to the American Red Cross.

• Students at Bayview Elementary in Fort Lauderdale resorted to a tried-and-true method of raising money – the lemonade stand. Students, parents and staff contributed to a Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund and raised $7,584.58. Along with the sale of lemonade and water, students  contributed change from their piggy banks.

• At Arthur R. Ashe, Jr. Middle in Fort Lauderdale, fundraising has become a war. Well, sort of.
  
  The students are participating in a Penny War. Each grade level has their own "Penny Jar" in the cafeteria.  The object is to put ONLY pennies in their grade level's jar.  Each grade can Sabotage the other grades by putting in silver coins or paper money in the jar.  The objective, of course, is to raise money for the people in the Gulf Coast. Students have begun to question and strategize with bringing in the coins for their jar and for the other grades' jars.

• The Silver Lakes Elementary PTSA is asking for specific donations from each grade level to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  The donations are as follows:

  Place & kindergarten:	toothpaste/toothbrushes
  First grade:	baby wipes
  Second grade:	baby food
  Third grade:	children's clothing
  Fourth & fifth grades:	diapers

The collection will run through Wednesday, September 14th.  The school has partnered with a local church group that will be picking up & driving the collection to Mississippi for distribution on Thursday, September 15th.

• Gator Run Elementary in Weston has developed a couple of fundraising activities for
  
• Student Dollar Drive:
  Students are being asked to bring in dollars to donate to the littlest victims of the hurricane - the children.  One way that students can contribute is with money earned from allowances or saved in their bank accounts.  Several students have created their own fundraisers in the neighborhood, raising an impressive amount of money.  In addition, students may create a card or note to send along with their donation to the Gulf Coast Children.  Students who wish to participate simply bring their dollar(s) and card to school in the morning.
  
• H.O.M.E. (Helping Others Means Everything) Project:
  This is a great way to focus on and be thankful for your HOME and family while at the same time contributing to needy families. Students can participate by remaining at home on Friday, September 16th after school and enjoying the evening with their family.  Families are encouraged to plan meaningful activities for all the members of the household that evening.  Any money that would normally be spent on a family night out can instead be donated to this worthy cause.

• The Medical Science Club at Stranahan High in Fort Lauderdale will have a coin drive during fifth period.  The class that collects the most money will win a pizza party.  In addition, on September 29th, the Key Club will have a movie afternoon in the auditorium from 3-5 p.m. with all profits going to the relief effort.  The tickets will sell for $2-3. On sale that night will be "I Made A Difference" shirts.  The price will be $5 for students who purchased a movie ticket and $10 for students who did not.  All profits from the shirts will also go towards the cause.

• On Friday, September 9th, Embassy Creek Elementary in Cooper City held “Dolfans Donate for Disaster.” This event was a tie in with both the kickoff to the NFL Season (where students and staff were requested to wear Miami Dolphin colors) and donations for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  Students had football helmets the used to collect donations in the morning.

• In an effort to play a part in countering the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina on children and families from the Gulf Coast area, the Rock Island Elementary student body, parents, faculty and staff have joined forces in a collaborative fundraising activity.  All students and parents have been asked to make a small voluntary contribution of $1 and staff members have been asked to voluntarily contribute whatever they can to the cause.  The school is hopeful that working together, the entire school family will be able to make a positive difference in the lives of those hardest hit by the storm.

• Coral Springs High has started a few efforts:

• Leadership/Student Government: Beads for Needsprogram where Mardi Gras beads are sold for a minimum $1 donation.  So far there have been many donations in excess of the $1 minimum donation, with several in excess of $100.  A local bank has agreed to match the school’s donation.
• Key Club: A car wash and cash collection, with monies raised to be distributed though Kiwanis Club.  All area school Key Clubs will be collecting with one check being sent by the local Kiwanis Club to the Red Cros

• Margate Elementary has organized a Relief Walk.  The school is conducting the event through P.E., where all students are walking a mile in honor of the hurricane victims.  Each student has received a pledge form where they will obtain donations from  sponsors.  The P.E. walk will continue through Friday, September 16th.  So far, the school has collected over $1,000, which will be sent, along with the funds collected this week, to the American Red Cross.
  
• At Riverglades Elementary, students began bringing in their money last week as part of the Cash for Katrina program. Money donated has ranged from loose change to $100 bills! The school raised $1,000 in just one day, and the program will continue through Friday, September 9th.

• Marjory Stoneman Douglas High is not participating in the  “Cash for Katrina” project because they started a separate fundraising effort – Beads for Needs. Members of the school’s Student Government Association are selling Mardi Gras-style beads as a way to raise money.

• Central Park Elementary has implemented the “Beads for Needs” program, where Mardi Gras bead necklaces are being sold each morning in the cafeteria. The program, which began Tuesday (9/6) raised over $700.00. The program will run through Friday, September 9th.

• Horizon Elementary has begun its " Change for Hope" program. Students, parents and faculty have been asked to donate “spare change” for the hurricane victims.  The school has three water cooler jugs where the change will be deposited all this week.  The proceeds will go to the American Red Cross.

• Coconut Creek Elementary has raised $3,318.50 so far by asking each student to bring in $1, with the school’s PTA contributing money as well. 

• Tequesta Trace Middle is raising money through its "Cougars Care for America" program. So far the school has raised $2,200 (that was just in the first day!) The fundraiser will run through Friday, September 9th, 2005.

• Westchester Elementary's PTA is sponsoring a fundraising drive by pledging funds and asking parents and staff to contribute.  They are accepting coins and checks payable to the American Red Cross - Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.  A big water bottle has been placed in the front office for the collection of coins. 

• Stirling Elementary’s students have begun another coin drive for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.  Last year, the school raised money with the penny drive for the tsunami victims. This year, the school’s goal is to raise $2,000.  The Student Council and Safety Patrol are helping with this collection at our school.  Students bring in coins every morning whatever they can spare. The money will be donated to the American Red Cross.

In addition, Stirling Elementary’s PTA is sponsoring a voluntary “Operation Shoe Box” event for the children affected by Hurricane Katrina.  Students are bringing in shoe boxes that contain band aids; a small book in good condition; hard candy (no chocolate); small cereal box; pencils and crayons; small drink box; small flash light; small toy; shampoo or soap; small tissue box; and a note telling them how much they care.  Operation Shoebox will end September 12, 2005 and Zip to Zip, a local moving company, will deliver the boxes free of charge.

• Cooper City Elementary is helping with the hurricane relief by donating the funds raised from “Fins’ Friday” to the American Red Cross.   Students may wear aqua, orange and white colors on Friday, September 9th for a donation.  The school will also be collecting additional monetary donations until September 16th.

• Hollywood Park Elementary has implemented its “CHANGE” collection for one month. The PTO will collect change and dollar bills from each class and the class with the highest amount donated will win a pizza party. All monies will be sent to the Red Cross and The Salvation Army.

• Eagle Point Elementary has asked each child to do something at home and receive a dollar for the chore(s).  There is a huge SUN in the school’s front office and with any money brought in, the child writes/draws a message on a RAY.  The program is called this  "RAYS of Hope.” Some children have raised $150 and one child raised $500. The goal is for children to learn it’s important to give of themselves and the hope is that every child will contribute - however small - because they have earned money to help someone else.

In addition, the District has suspended the practice of allowing the community to obtain free textbooks from our book depository, as the textbooks will eventually be needed in the affected areas of the Gulf Coast.

These are just a few examples of the countywide efforts of the District and its schools to help those in the Gulf Coast affected by this national tragedy.