High Point University students present Erwin Montessori with a check for $6,000 to go toward the elementary school’s tornado relief efforts. From left to right are HPU student Alexis Ogren; Kassie Sparks, HPU assistant director of campus engagement; Courtney Sparrow, Erwin Montessori PTA president; Dr. Deborah Parker, Erwin Montessori principal; Lyndsey Clos, HPU SGA president; HPU students Michael Dreher, Kirby Hutcheson and Jack Henn; and Summer Chandler, HPU director of campus engagement.
HIGH POINT, N.C., April 27, 2018 – Recovering from a recent tornado that tore through their school, the Erwin Montessori principal and PTA president came to High Point University today and met with students who presented a donation of $6,000 for the elementary school’s tornado relief efforts.
Members of HPU’s Student Government Association voted this week to set aside funds for Erwin Montessori after learning about the damage to local schools caused by a tornado that struck Greensboro on April 15. After meeting with Dr. Deborah Parker, Erwin Montessori principal, and Courtney Sparrow, president of the school’s PTA, students saw the first-hand impact of the tornado’s destruction
“This donation is amazing and overwhelming,” said Parker. “When there’s a crisis and bad things happen, people really rise up. To hear that High Point University’s Student Government Association is so willing to recognize our needs and to step up and fill that need is just remarkable. I know that my faculty, my parents, my students and I are eternally grateful for the support.”
“This is my first big contribution on behalf of the SGA as the organization’s president, and I couldn’t be more excited for it,” said HPU student Lyndsey Clos. “Having heard about the damage to the school and after seeing pictures, we knew we needed to help. As an organization, the HPU SGA strives to help the surrounding community, and we know that education is crucial. We want to make sure that we invest in this school and help the students there get back in their classrooms and back on their feet.”
Having formed a bond with Erwin Montessori, HPU students also committed to lending their volunteer efforts to the school in any way the school may need.
“Whether it’s physical labor with cleanup and rebuilding in the near future or volunteering to work one-on-one with students down the road, let us know what we can do to be connected to you and the school,” HPU student Kirby Hutcheson told Parker.