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Saturday, September 3, 2005
Schools, Sheriff Raise Funds For Katrina Victims
By Elaine D. Briseño
Journal Staff Writer
The Rio Rancho and Bernalillo school districts are joining forces with the Sandoval County Sheriff's Department to help victims of hurricane Katrina.
Representatives of Rio Rancho Public Schools and Bernalillo Public Schools attended a meeting Friday morning with Sheriff John Paul Trujillo to coordinate their efforts.
Trujillo announced Thursday he was leading a campaign to collect food, clothing and money to help in the relief efforts.
RRPS is running a primarily cash campaign, asking families and staff members to donate. District spokeswoman Kim Vesely told Trujillo the school district was at first only going to focus on cash.
"We have been able to expand our support to include nonperishable items," she said.
BPS executive director of secondary education, Sharon Fox, was also at the meeting.
"What can we do to help?" she asked the sheriff.
Trujillo told her to collect money, food and other items such as clothes, diapers and blankets. He said his deputies will pick up the items and deliver them to his office.
RRPS is asking parents of elementary students to donate $1, middle school students $2, and mid-high and high school students $3. Staff members are being asked to donate $5 each. The district will send home a letter to parents Tuesday explaining the relief efforts.
Vesely said the district has estimated it can raise as much as $30,000 if everyone participates.
The district has also agreed to give leave to employees who need to go to the Gulf Coast and assist family members and to excuse children whose parents need to leave to help family there as well.
The efforts are being coordinated with Roadrunner Food Bank and the American Red Cross.
Anyone wanting to donate can drop items off at the Sandoval County Sheriff's Office at the Sandoval County Judicial Complex at Idalia and N.M. 528. Deputies are also willing to pick up items at homes or offices.
Rio Rancho residents Ann and William Tucker attended Friday's meeting. The couple said they had been watching the events unfold on television and wanted to help. They came to the meeting with food, clothes and a check.
"This made it convenient to us," Ann Tucker said. "We would not have known where Roadrunner Food Bank was. We don't know our way around Albuquerque very well."
The couple moved to Rio Rancho from Illinois four years ago and have not ventured into the city that much.
"We had been to New Orleans before," she said. "We the places we had been, we saw it all wiped out."
For more information, call the sheriff's office at 867-7526 or 867-7525.