BLUFFDALE, Utah –An idea to help Hurricane Harvey victims grew into the entire student body of Bluffdale Elementary School working to help.

 

On Friday, hundreds of students packed the gym at Bluffdale Elementary to FaceTime their new friends at Moore Elementary in Houston. The school was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey.

 

Bluffdale presented them via the video with a check for at least $2,700 dollars, but fourth grade teacher Martianne White thinks it will be close to $2,800 when it’s said and done.

 

“Everybody jumped on board, everybody took a job,” White said. “I love my kids and see them do great things makes me emotional,” she said.

 

“If I had to evacuate I would be sad,” said Bluffdale fourth grader Addison Pankey. She and her fellow student Alexa Mazuran made posters and spread the word about raising money.

 

“They mowed lawns, they did bake sales, they babysat, they were so sweet, they gave their money even if they were saving up,” said Mazuran.

 

During the video chat, the students had lots of questions for each other about the size of their schools, about the weather, and more.  The Houston students talked about evacuating their homes. Some had to be rescued. When they mentioned that all their library books were destroyed by sewage and flood waters, the Bluffdale student body let out a collective groan.

Moore Elementary school leaders say this generous donation from Bluffdale Elementary will help them replace those library books, supplies and technology they lost.

 

The Houston students also couldn’t believe it snowed in Utah already.

 

At the end of the morning, both student bodies committed to be pen pals and remain friends.

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