MONROE - Senior Jamie Armstrong handed a paycheck for $6,397.29 to the South Central Wisconsin American Red Cross executive director David Diestler Friday.
Armstrong, a member of the Monroe girls basketball team, organized a fund-raising event called "Hoops for Haiti" shortly after the devastating January earthquake that riddled the small island nation.
"It turned out better than I expected," she said. "It means a lot knowing that our money is going to be used for helping those in need."
Armstrong and her teammates sought help in finding the funds to donate, so they enlisted several groups and clubs from around the school. The big event was a Feb. 20 home game against Monona Grove on senior night.
"I'm really proud of the community and the school for really coming together and making a difference," Armstrong said.
Diestler was happily surprised by the efforts of Armstrong and her classmates.
"It's fantastic. There have been other schools that have done it (raised money), but it's never been that large," he said. "It's got to be really rewarding for the city and the community to put something like this together with such short notice and to raise that much money. They should be proud that they can help strangers somewhere else on the other side of the world."
Diestler said that every day more than 1 million liters of bottled water are distributed to the nation of Haiti, which doesn't have safe drinking water.
"We're using (the money) for food, water, shelter," he said. "We're trying to build shelters for them right now and there is a big push because they are entering the rainy season and then the hurricane season is coming right up next."
Armstrong, a member of the Monroe girls basketball team, organized a fund-raising event called "Hoops for Haiti" shortly after the devastating January earthquake that riddled the small island nation.
"It turned out better than I expected," she said. "It means a lot knowing that our money is going to be used for helping those in need."
Armstrong and her teammates sought help in finding the funds to donate, so they enlisted several groups and clubs from around the school. The big event was a Feb. 20 home game against Monona Grove on senior night.
"I'm really proud of the community and the school for really coming together and making a difference," Armstrong said.
Diestler was happily surprised by the efforts of Armstrong and her classmates.
"It's fantastic. There have been other schools that have done it (raised money), but it's never been that large," he said. "It's got to be really rewarding for the city and the community to put something like this together with such short notice and to raise that much money. They should be proud that they can help strangers somewhere else on the other side of the world."
Diestler said that every day more than 1 million liters of bottled water are distributed to the nation of Haiti, which doesn't have safe drinking water.
"We're using (the money) for food, water, shelter," he said. "We're trying to build shelters for them right now and there is a big push because they are entering the rainy season and then the hurricane season is coming right up next."
