November 1, 2005

Purdue students' collections for hurricane relief top $26,000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Students across the Purdue University campus have kept up efforts to collect money to offer relief to families hit by recent hurricanes.

In the past month, more than $10,000 has been raised in additional fund raisers organized by students across campus. This brings the total Purdue donations to more than $26,000 given to the Lafayette, Ind., chapter of the American Red Cross.

"Although many university students are strapped for cash, Purdue students have continued to give to help out others less fortunate than themselves," said Pablo Malavenda, associate dean of students. "The campus has really rallied together to help the hurricane victims and the students have been really creative in thinking of ways to raise money for the Red Cross."

One of the students that helped coordinate the fund-raising effort was Chelsea Steele, Purdue Mortar Board community service chair.

"What I find truly inspiring about the Hurricane Relief fund raising is the spectrum of students who got involved," said Steele, a senior majoring in food process engineering and pharmaceutical sciences from South Bend, Ind. "These are not all the largest or the most prominent organizations on campus. Everyone has contributed – from the Off Road Club to the Juggling Club – which I think demonstrates the diversity and the generosity of the Purdue student body."

In addition to the contributions from individual residence hall clubs, the halls raised nearly $5,000. Alpha Xi Delta donated more than $360 that its members raised.

During the latest round of fund raising, 12 student organizations opted to donate the maximum allowable $100 from their general funds. They were the Society of Women Engineers, the Latino Student Union, the Society of Minority Managers, the Panhellenic Association, the Cavalier Club, the Juggling Club, Tomahawk, the Farm Management Club, Alpha Lambda Delta Phi Eta Sigma, the Retail Organization, Windsor Residence Hall and the Phoenix Club.

Other donors included the Air Force ROTC Boilerwing with Army and Navy, the Black Cultural Center, the Black Graduate Association, Eta Kappa Nu, Hip Hop Society, Purdue Libraries, the Office of the Registrar, Off Road Club, the Purdue Student Union Board and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Sources: Pablo Malavenda, (765) 494-1232, pablo@purdue.edu

Chelsea Steele, cqsteele@purdue.edu

Jessica Hoffman, Purdue Student Government president, jdhoffma@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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