RandomKids Rallied at National Teleconference

Exchange Between RandomKid Hurricane-Survivors and RandomKids Who Are Helping

Kids Raised Over $10 Million Dollars, And Promise to Do More This Year!

This page features the stories behind the RandomKids on the teleconference call.

Thank you to the MILLIONS of RandomKids out there who have done something to help our pals in the Gulf Coast, and who plan to keep helping!  Even if you weren't on the call, we want to hear from you!  Please send us your stories and pictures, and we'll try to include them soon.  Check out our new RANDOMBLOG, too!  This is a great way for "all y'all" to be able to learn more about each other.

Check out this story on the ABC News Website.

Noah, RandomArtist, Age 6 - Saginaw Beach, MA

Noah was perhaps the youngest to participate on the call.  When Noah saw the news of Katrina, he jumped right in by making copies of a poster he made in school.  Noah sells these posters on his website www.Noahville.com, signed and unsigned, and the money he raises is donated to Habitat for Humanity Hurricane Katrina & Rita Reflief fund.  Like his poster says "One Small Child can Change the World." Way to go, Noah!!

Red Hill (North Garden VA) and  Yancy Elementary (Esmont, VA) Schools

Here are the Red Hill & Yancy Elementary students intensely following the conference call agenda.  Students at these two schools made coin banks in the shape of houses or buildings from New Orleans. They took them home and filled them with change. When they brought them back, the Kids Care Club emptied them, counted the change, and used the buildings to create a new city. They created a base with features of New Orleans, placed the buildings on the base, and added a chain of people with a flag stating "Together We Make A Difference." The project brought in $1,403.71. The Kids Care members used that money to "shop" for household items on Oprah's Angel Network - Katrina Homes website.

To read more about what they did, click here and here.

The Academy - Des Moines, IA

Our small mid-western school raised what amounted to $40 dollars PER student to help hurricane survivors. We also sent them something money can't buy: Encouragement, in the form of letters and drawings.  We urge schools across our nation to take the LEAD in continuing to take responsibility for our fellow Americans who are waiting for their city to be restored. Thank you.  To read more about what they did, click here.

NOW (New Orleans West) College Prep, a KIPP transformation school 

Houston, TX

 When our kids and faculty learned of the tragic loss facing our neighbors in Louisiana, we immediately shot to action to help: raising money; gathering clothing, food, and water; and, collecting school supplies to be used by students displaced from the hurricane.   

While this was definitely helpful, we realized that given the number of evacuees joining us in our city, this was the time for KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) in Houston to step up as citizens. To that end, KIPP in Houston – along with school principal Gary Robichaux and a group of dedicated teachers from New Orleans – started a school appropriately titled NOW (New Orleans West) College Prep here in Houston to serve almost entirely Louisiana students.  

KIPP, Teach For America (a national corps of recent college graduates who choose to serve as teachers for two years in areas of the country that desperately need committed teachers), and the Houston Independent School district formed a partnership to open NOW College Prep.  NOW College Prep serves elementary and middle school-aged Louisiana children living in Houston as a result of being displaced by the hurricane. 

We did not just want to start a school; we wanted to start an extremely effective school that would dedicate itself to the same mission as other KIPP schools:  to prepare students for success in college and in life. To that end, our students worked to help train the Teach For America teachers working at NOW College Prep to the standards we expect at KIPP. NOW College Prep has tapped into an enormous number of resources, including UNICEF’s unique School-in-a-Box program. 

Students and staff at New Orleans West College Prep want to extend a profound thanks to everyone around the country who has stepped up to help in this enormous time of need here in the United States.  Dr. King once said that one’s character is defined in times of crisis. From the perspective of the NOW College Prep kids, as well as the perspective of our children throughout Houston, every penny, nickel, dime, and dollar have counted. 

And while so much has been done to help so far, there is a tremendous amount of work left to be done.  Just because the cameras are not focusing in as frequently on the destruction and trauma left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the rebuilding is by no means finished. Please continue to do precisely what your hearts have urged you to do to this point. The numbers shared on this phone call are staggering, but still it is not enough.

Parkridge Elementary - Baker, LA

Parkridge Elementary in Baker, Louisiana Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana on August 29. Our city and School System were spared from all but minor damage. Displaced families began arriving here almost immediately as many homes and 3 large shelters opened their doors. Children were enrolled and placed in classes as soon as September 6. We hired teachers who had been evacuated and opened classes to serve 560 new students. Many donations have enabled us to provide uniforms, supplies, after school tutoring and address other needs. Our children have corresponded with children who have sent book sacks of supplies and letters of encouragement. We wish to thank everyone who has helped.

Minnetonka Public Schools, MN

Each of our schools has a partner school down there and we had many fundraising activities that collected not only money but things like school supplies, band instruments, and we sent more than 4,500 books!  The kids here in Minnetonka will continue to help our fellow kids down there as long as it's needed.  To the kids affected by Hurricane Katrina, the kids here in Minnetonka have your back!!

Akilah and the Bake Sale - Latham, NY

Akilah is 10 years old and she attends Latham Ridge E.S. in New York.  Akilah decided to organize a bake sale at her school to help the families affected by Katrina.  They cooked up a lot of dough!  Akilah and the Bake Sale raised $700 and donated it to the Habitat for Humanity and Catholic Charities.  She's already mixing up some new ideas to help out again this year!  Click here to read more about Akilah.

Aiea High School - Aiea, HI

When we saw the news of Katrina and heard Mayor Nagin's call for help, we formed Mission Mardi Gras Beads of Hope.  Our campus was will filled with the sparkling beads and literally glittered with aloha as we raised over $2000 for hurricane relief. This year, we're planning  a second "Mission Mardi Gras Beads of Hope" campaign to continue our goal to make a difference.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONFERENCE CALL

An Elementary School Hurricane Survivor will moderate the call from his school in Houston. After a roll call of  kids from across the country,  Katrina Survivor Students will talk briefly about how they're doing, Kids from around the country will respond with what they've done to help, and their plans for continued support.   Hurricane Survivor Students will talk about what it was like to receive the help and extend their thanks.  We will then unveil the latest tally.  Kids will see that every penny DOES count.  And when you add up all the bake sales and lemonade stand together, kids have a powerful force to continue Making Change for Katrina!  Click here to listen to this inspiring montage from our last big RandomKid Rally for Hurricane Relief!

About RandomKid

RandomKid is an Iowa nonprofit that Helps Kids Help Others. Kids often have BIG ideas. RandomKid takes their ideas for a better tomorrow seriously and helps them harness their power to make their dreams a reality. By creating opportunities for children across the USA to tap into a variety of resources, RandomKid will allow children's unique abilities to shine as bright as they can and solve real-world problems while doing it.

A Special Note: RandomKid was born out of necessity. Millions of children and thousands of schools unified their efforts for hurricane relief on a website that was originally intended to rally kids to Trick-or-Treat for hurricane relief (www.halloweenhelpers.blogspot.com). A miraculous thing happend. Kids started reporting in BEFORE Halloween. They were washing cars, shaving heads, selling lemonade. They were sending donations to the Red Cross, UNICEF, Habitat for Humanity... they were adopting schools and getting personally involved with penpals. They weren't going to stop after Halloween. So on December 1, 2005, when everyone wanted to know how much was raised trick-or-treating, we had to tell America that kids had taken it far beyond that. And we want to be sure every kid, every coin, is counted. 

www.randomkid.org

*As reported by Foundation Center.

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News Releases

For the main news page, click here.

May 25, 2006         9-Year-Old Furnishes Entire Habitat for Humanity House!

January 20, 2006    Child Benefactor to Grant Wish to Cancer Patient and her Family

December 11, 2005 11-Year-Old RockStar Teams Up with BIG Company to Help Another School

December 7, 2005   "Kids Bless America" song released.

December 2, 2005   10-year old Iowa girl unifies kids across the US for Hurricane Relief
November 29, 2005  Media Event Advisory

Media Contact

Anne Ginther, "RandomPrez"
RandomKid
P.O. Box 2064

McKinney, TX 75070

Tel  612.210.9952 mobile

      972.359.0765 office
Email  Anne@RandomKid.org