In the wake of a summer filled with natural disasters, the PV High student body, led by BTC and ASB, set out to try and aid Texas in its recovery.

“While Hurricane Harvey was happening, I asked Mrs. Kostrencich about the possibility of being able to make donations,” said BTC president Jeffrey Kauffman.

“BTC and ASB decided to start collecting monetary donations, first with donations at the football game that friday, then continuing to collect in English classes over the following weeks,” he said.

The monetary donations collected by ASB and BTC are in addition to the district’s donation drive that collected food, clothing, and other household items for the victims.

According to Patty Camp, ASB finance director, $890 was raised for hurrican victims at the football game alone.

This was donated to the organization, EDI Express.

On Friday, August 25, the catastrophic Hurricane Harvey flooded southeastern Texas. Harvey’s winds reached 130 mph, resulting in a category 4 classification. Over the time period of four days, the tropical storm effect of Harvey contributed to the forty plus inches of rain in Texas.

One of the many effects of the severe flooding caused families to be displaced from their homes. An estimated 30,000 people needed to evacuate to safety. In addition to the loss of homes, according to Time magazine, there have been 70 confirmed deaths in over 13 counties in Texas.

Due to these catastrophes, Hurricane Harvey is considered to be the most severe Hurricane since Hurricane Wilma in 2005. The severity of the hurricane prompted the PVHS Be The Change program to take action.

“It is not only important for us to come together as a school, but to come together and be united as a nation as well,” said Kauffman.