To the Editor:
On Friday, September 2, our Social Psychology class unanimously decided to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, in response to the massive devastation and suffering caused by natural and manmade forces in the gulf coast states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. By Friday, September 9, the class had visited over two hundred local businesses from Albany to Saratoga and collected over $3,300 in prizes to use for the raffle. From September 9-17, these students sold approximately 2,000 raffle tickets, to help raise $3,700, which was donated to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund.
This impressive number was made possible by hundreds of people on the RPI campus. Most donations were gathered $2 at a time, and some people gave the last change in their pocket to help. Spare change alone contributed $35 to our overall total, and these donations of pennies and dimes were equally as welcome as those who could spare $5 for three tickets or $10 for six. Even the smallest of donations, 25 cents, showed the good will and willingness of the RPI student body to help out in this time of desperate need, and our class would like to thank everyone who generously contributed to our success.
And although our fundraiser has ended, the need to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina is enormous, and I urge you to continue to support the hurricane fundraisers currently underway on campus, whether you make a donation to the Project Hope folks who have a bake sale this week, or if you can purchase a t-shirt from the Lally School of Management students (its red and has a way cool design!). Every single dollar we can raise is vital for thousands of people who are trying to rebuild their lives. The RPI community is clearly a caring community, and I urge you to continue your generosity in the weeks and months to come.
Again, our sincerest thanks and appreciation to everybody who made our Hurricane Katrina Relief Raffle a success.
Chris VerWys
Lecturer, Cognitive Science
