Students ‘tie one on’ for tornado victims
SALEM – When math teacher Jeanny Gilpin’s students noticed how sad she was after her hometown of Tuscaloosa, Ala., was devastated by a tornado on April 27, they wanted to know what they could do to help.
What they did was tie one on. Ribbons, that is.
Andrew Lewis Middle School students came up with a fundraising project of making ribbons their friends, parents, teachers and neighbors could wear to remember the people of Tuscaloosa. They asked $1 donations. Many people gave more.
Hannah Moran, left, and Hannah Worrell cut lengths of houndstooth ribbon to make lapel ribbons for Tuscaloosa, Ala., tornado relief. Photo by Meg Hibbert
Members of Gilpin’s family had some close calls in the tornado. Her brother, Richard McCracken, owns Dave’s Dogs in University Mall in Tuscaloosa that was hit by the E4 massive tornado.
“When that monster storm was coming down the street, he took shelter,” she said, mentioning other people who acted heroically the day 109 tornadoes touched down that day. “The principal at Alberta Elementary made the decision to get all the children out of the school and send them home,” she said. The school was leveled. “The only thing standing today is the sign.”
So far, Gilpin’s students have raised $292.58.
She plans to take the money with her when she goes home to Alabama on July 5, and donate it to a relief effort there that her future daughter-in-law, Kacy Davis, volunteers with, Gilpin said.
“It takes monetary donations and provides food, water, clothes and even a place for people to stay,” she added.
Kacy is engaged to Gilpin’s son, Kirk Gilpin, who works for NorfolkSouthern Railway in St. Louis. The couple plans to marry next year, Jeanny Gilpin said.
Last week, when her math students could have been watching a movie in the auditorium, Gilpin’s students in her fourth period “Regal Eagle” team chose to come to her classroom to measure and cut ribbon, hot-glue the paper word onto the loop, and add corsage pins.
Students were divided into work stations, and each knew exactly what to do on that day. The day before the movie, they came in quickly to spend 25 minutes when some students were finishing Standard of Learning writing tests in other classes, to assemble ribbons.
The Regal Eagles did their writing tests earlier in the year, Gilpin said.
“We felt really sorry and wanted to do something to help,” added Jensen Blevins, who covered an empty envelope box with paper and decorated it with a Big A and the slogan, “Donations to Help Alabama.”
“It’s not the biggest amount that will be donated for Tuscaloosa, but it helps,” said Katherine Irby, who purchased the first roll of ribbon and brought it in.
Students pointed out they used math skills while working on the ribbons.
Hannah Moran and Hannah Worrell said they had to measure out exactly 9-1/2-inches of ribbon, send that to the next work station of students, who trimmed the ends at 45-degree angles.
Isaac Robertson and Brittney McDaniel formed loops of ribbon, then handed them to Brandon Beamer, the glue-gun-man.
At a table near the classroom door, Josh Holloway and team members added corsage pins to the finished products.
And there are still a few ribbons left, Gilpin said Tuesday night. Students noticed their classmates wearing the houndstooth-checked ribbons centered with the word “Tuscaloosa,” and wanted one, too, she said.
“It’s become a school thing, instead of just a class thing.”
