By Cass Bonfiglio
American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region Volunteer

The scenes of disaster from Maui were hard to forget, and they certainly made an impression on students at Reno High School. With the school year just underway, students in the school’s leadership program decided to take on a fundraising project to help residents of Maui affected by the wildfires.

Lucy Platz, a senior at Reno High, organized the fundraising project. “We had never done anything like this before,” she explained. “Leadership class is voluntary. Students in the class want to be involved. They want to help develop school spirit.” So, with the disaster response top-of-mind, Lucy and other students on the project decided to use their football team’s season-opener to raise donations for Maui and the Northern Nevada Chapter of the Red Cross.

In addition to collections at the game, students were able to donate through a Venmo account. The students put up flyers around campus and the principal made announcements during the week leading up to the event.

Throughout the game, students participating in the fundraiser collected money and talked to other students and parents in attendance about their efforts. And the response from crowd? “It was a very positive response,” Lucy said. “They were very impressed at how much initiative we had. Some of them wanted to know how the money would get there.” Their fundraising efforts raised $1,000 for Red Cross disaster relief activities on Maui.

The response from the high school community demonstrated just how eager people are to contribute, “They wanted to help but didn’t know how. They were happy that we were helping,” Lucy added.

In working with staff and volunteers at the Northern Nevada Chapter, Lucy stated, “I didn’t realize that Red Cross helps everywhere. I didn’t know that you were so versatile in helping out with every situation. It helped to work with you guys,” she added.

Aside from raising money, their efforts resulted in lessons in leadership: “Reach out and don’t stop trying,” Lucy said. “Seeing students leading is something positive for other students who may want to do something like this.”

YOU CAN HELP people affected by disasters like storms, wildfires and countless other crises by making a gift to Red Cross Disaster Relief.

• Blood donations are also critically important to ensure patient needs are met. Large storm systems often force the cancellation of blood drives in affected areas. The need for blood is constant, and the Red Cross is already experiencing a concerning shortfall in donations. Make an appointment to give at redcrossblood.org.
• Financial contributions enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
• Our volunteers are at the heart of our mission and represent 90% of our workforce. Visit redcross.org/volunteertoday to sign up for opportunities with your local chapter. Our most-needed disaster positions include supporting shelters and providing health services. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to schedule an interview. 

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.