2008 Woodie Awards
College Raises $11,000 for Hurricane Victims
LaGina Phillips
Issue date: 11/9/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Dozens of Valley College volunteers, from deans to students, manned the lunch tables, raffle box and musical instruments with a common goal: raise $7,500 for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Instead, Valley raised more than $11,000. The Oct. 26 event included a Taste of New Orleans luncheon and a raffle with prizes such as a mini-DVD player and an iPod.
The campus' goal of raising $7,500, to be evenly split between the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, was surpassed by $3,500 through not only cash donations, but also through the sale of nearly 600 lunches, 3,111 raffle tickets and coffee sales.
Hurricane Katrina ripped through Louisiana and Mississippi more than two months ago displacing more than a million people and damaging thousands of homes beyond repair.
"So many people were generous with their time, help and cash contributions," said Vocational Dean Laurie Nalepa, who co-chaired The Katrina Committee, crediting assistant Karen Capps with motivating her to get involved with the event. "She came into my office and said, 'I don't think [Valley's] doing anything for Katrina and I think we should.'"
Capps raised about $4,300 in raffle ticket sales, but she remains modest: "I was thinking about the people," she said. "I just wish I could be there to help build homes."
Along with Nalepa, Al Amarawansa of plant facilities and music instructor Jennifer Kelly organized the event as committee co-chairs with the participation of many volunteers on campus.
During the event lunch patrons were treated to the jazz stylings of Woody James and the Jazz Octet in Monarch Quad and various seminars on the history and geography of the impacted regions, among other attractions organized by the committee.
"This was after these terrible images were off the television, and when the shock affect wears off sometimes people forget, [but] that wasn't the case," said Jeanne Rubin, Katrina committee member and executive assistant to Valley President Tyree Wieder, commenting on the amount of support students and faculty gave to the event. Rubin stressed that although the hurricane hit more than two months ago the need in the impacted areas is still strong.
The Associated Student Union, with the help of Capps, is responsible for the sale of the more-than-3,000 raffle tickets as well as many other contributions.
"This is why I wanted this position," said ASU President and Katrina Committee member Nelli Marirosyan. "I'm here to make a difference."
Instead, Valley raised more than $11,000. The Oct. 26 event included a Taste of New Orleans luncheon and a raffle with prizes such as a mini-DVD player and an iPod.
The campus' goal of raising $7,500, to be evenly split between the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, was surpassed by $3,500 through not only cash donations, but also through the sale of nearly 600 lunches, 3,111 raffle tickets and coffee sales.
Hurricane Katrina ripped through Louisiana and Mississippi more than two months ago displacing more than a million people and damaging thousands of homes beyond repair.
"So many people were generous with their time, help and cash contributions," said Vocational Dean Laurie Nalepa, who co-chaired The Katrina Committee, crediting assistant Karen Capps with motivating her to get involved with the event. "She came into my office and said, 'I don't think [Valley's] doing anything for Katrina and I think we should.'"
Capps raised about $4,300 in raffle ticket sales, but she remains modest: "I was thinking about the people," she said. "I just wish I could be there to help build homes."
Along with Nalepa, Al Amarawansa of plant facilities and music instructor Jennifer Kelly organized the event as committee co-chairs with the participation of many volunteers on campus.
During the event lunch patrons were treated to the jazz stylings of Woody James and the Jazz Octet in Monarch Quad and various seminars on the history and geography of the impacted regions, among other attractions organized by the committee.
"This was after these terrible images were off the television, and when the shock affect wears off sometimes people forget, [but] that wasn't the case," said Jeanne Rubin, Katrina committee member and executive assistant to Valley President Tyree Wieder, commenting on the amount of support students and faculty gave to the event. Rubin stressed that although the hurricane hit more than two months ago the need in the impacted areas is still strong.
The Associated Student Union, with the help of Capps, is responsible for the sale of the more-than-3,000 raffle tickets as well as many other contributions.
"This is why I wanted this position," said ASU President and Katrina Committee member Nelli Marirosyan. "I'm here to make a difference."
