Mar 18, 2007 By Jenny Susa 2 min read

Last year, the Leo Club at Bethlehem Center High School decided they would like to reach out to students who were affected by Hurricane Katrina, and they started raising money for the Red Cross in an effort to help. Belinda Brova, school nurse and coordinator for the Leo Club, said that when the students came back to school this year, they decided they would like to continue their outreach to the area.

They adopted Gulfview Elementary School in Kiln, Miss., where they decided they would try to help the school operate more effectively after the disaster.

Brova explained that Gulfview Elementary now has students from two school districts, because the hurricane destroyed so many buildings, and there was also a loss of students in the area because some families moved away.

“The kids here wanted to continue to help this year,” said Brova. “So the Leo Club adopted the school, and they sent us a wish list of items they needed.”

The Leo Club not only raised $385 to purchase school supplies and book bags for the students, but they also received a $500 grant from the Belle Vernon Wal-Mart that they could pass along to the students in Mississippi.

“In addition to the supplies the students raised, we got to send them the $500 check,” said Brova. “That was just a nice bonus.”

Brova said the Leo Club hopes to continue their outreach and she said she is currently writing for a grant from McDonalds that would benefit Beth Center and the students at Gulfview Elementary.

The grant would provide money for pedometers that the school would use for a wellness program called “March to Mississippi,” and the idea would be for the Beth Center students who participate to walk enough miles together to total the number of miles between their school and Gulfview. Brova is discussing the wellness program with Gulfview’s guidance counselor, hoping to get those students involved as well.