MRH Raises Funds for Tornado-Hit Joplin Schools

A fundraiser in support of Joplin Schools students is underway in the in the aftermath of a deadly tornado that hit the city May 22.

The money will be used to purchase clothing, shoes, blankets, pillows and other items, an MRH email newsletter states.

The goal is to have each MRH student and faculty member give $1, director of communications Tom Wickersham said. That would amount to $1,284. Because students are out of school for the summer, the district is now wrapping up the faculty portion of the donation campaign.

The district likely will write a check to the Joplin school district at the middle or end of next week.

Members of the community are invited to donate by contacting any school in the MRH district or calling the central office at 314-644-4400.

The effort is part of a statewide initiative by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

"The (Joplin) school district has a total enrollment of nearly 8,000 students, and nearly half of its student body lives in the affected area," the education department stated in a news release.