Seeing the devastation across Nebraska and Iowa following late winter flooding, Ralston Public Schools students united to support classmates and strangers who are affected.

The Ralston Area Chamber of Commerce organized a drive that Karen Western Elementary, Mockingbird Elementary, and Ralston Middle School supported. Below, students from RMS delivered supplies in late March.

Karen Western students, families, and staff gathered these items for the Chamber drive:

In addition to Mockingbird Elementary's support for the Chamber drive, staff donated supplies through Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture's drive to benefit the Salvation Army's donation warehouse in Omaha. (Click here to see their post thanking #TeamMockingbird). 

At Wildewood Elementary, parents raised money as a PTO and a hat day raised hundreds of dollars for relief.

Seymour Elementary hosted a popcorn sale for flood victims, thanking families for joining their fundraiser.

At Meadows Elementary, students and staff coordinated a snack sale to raise money for a classmate impacted by flooding. Like Wildewood Elementary, a hat day raised money for the Fremont community, which is just 30 minutes from Ralston. Students also made cards for peers affected by flooding in the DC West school district, also in Douglas County.

At the end of March, Blumfield Elementary students hosted a paper goods drive for those cleaning up from the floods. 6th-grade student leaders gathered generous donations for distribution.

The Ralston Public Schools community sends our thoughts to the thousands of Nebraskans and Iowans affected by flooding. We are proud of our student leaders for seeking out opportunities to help and grateful for our team of professionals who helped facilitate those ideas.