The results of the April 9-13 fundraiser for tornado relief were better than Student Congress expected, junior Catherine Edmonson, who led the effort, said.

     “I’m so happy people took the time and donated,” Edmonson said. “There were kids donating $20 bills at a time, and some donated more than one day. Amazing.”

     The drive was organized to help North Texans affected by the tornadoes that took place on Tuesday, April 3. Some members of Student Congress were in Arlington during the storms for a convention.

     “A few hours after the convention was over, some of our friends’ homes were destroyed,’’ Edmonson said. ‘’I decided to help out.”

     Edmonson also decided to start this drive because she felt the issue was an important one.

     “Everyone truly cares about their neighbor,” Edmonson said. “I know that my Student Congress friends would have done the same for me. It’s not just some random community service project, it’s something that really can make a difference in someone’s life, and that’s what appealed to me.”

     Both money and items were accepted for donation. Around $200 was raised during the drive to be donated, as well as many bars of soap and tubes of toothpaste. Student congress plans to take the donations to the Fox 4 News donation center.