The past couple of weeks, Eastern Nebraska has been dealing with the aftermath of severe rainstorms and snow melt. The rain on top of the snow has caused areas of land to flood. The aftermath of the flood resulted in livestock dying, property damage and many people being forced to evacuate their homes. From Monday, March 25 to Friday, March 29, Student Council held a fundraiser for homerooms to donate bottled water for the flood victims. Senior, Cameran Runge, who is apart of student council, came up with the idea.

“I heard of a lot of people doing it across the nation because a lot of the water they have can’t be turned on now,” Runge said. “I thought it would be easy because we’re teenagers and we don’t want to spend a lot of money and bottled water is cheap so if you make it a competition people will want to do it.”

Guidance Counselor, Lauri Cunningham, said she is dealing with the effects of the recent weather. Cunningham lives on an acreage of land near Beaver Lake.

“I’m sure we don’t have it as bad as many, many other people, but our house is not flooded, but I don’t have access to my house,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham left her house Thursday, March 14 to stay with her son in Bellevue, and the next day she said she found that she couldn’t go return home due to two foot high flood water covering the roads.

Kathlene Groth, the co-sponsor of student council, stated the importance of donating to the cause. “We all benefit from the community so we should all contribute when we can,” Groth said. “Just because this year it’s not me getting flooded out doesn’t mean down the road I won’t need some help.”

Though the fundraiser ended Friday, March 29 Student s is still accepting donations, Runge said. 

“If you go up to the office they won’t turn down your donations and also they’re taking donations on 84th and Center at the Canfield’s if you don’t want to directly donate to the school,” Runge said.