As homes were destroyed and families were left heartbroken after the tornadoes that plowed through Nebraska and Iowa yesterday, the Griffin community didn’t waste any time coming to aid their own. To support two families in the Gretna East community, the Football Booster Club quickly organized a drive today, April 27, to collect things like toiletries, snacks and other goods for the families.
“We’re really impressed by the community’s turnout,” Cory Allan, one of the organizers, said.
Athletic director Ryan Garder and sophomore Kohen Filter both had family members impacted by the storms.
“Kayla [Hartmann] and I were heartbroken when we heard about Mr. Garder’s family and Kohen’s family,” sophomore Remi Lefeber said. “We wanted to do anything to help.”
Filter’s father’s home in Elkhorn was reportedly “hit directly by the tornado,” according to Allan.
“They’re all safe and they got most of the stuff out of the house,” Aspen Creek Middle School teacher and drive organizer Matthew Shrader said. “It seemed like they were in good spirits considering the situation.”
The goods collected today are going directly to Garder’s family and the Filter family, but, because of the outpouring of support, the donations are going to make an even bigger impact.
“We’re probably going to end up assisting in other areas like Elkhorn especially if we have excess,” Allan said. “It’s looking like we have a great turnout so we probably will, which is a great problem to have.”
The amount collected filled one truck and two SUVs. This was a pleasant surprise for the Football Booster Club.
“Honestly I’m surprised,” Brian Gunn, another organizer, said. “It’s a lot. It’s kind of a shock.”
Community members and GEHS students were grateful for this opportunity to support those in need.
“It made me so happy to be able to put in a helping hand to those who needed it,” Lefeber said.
To further aid those affected, there has been a GoFundMe set up for the Filter family and Gretna Public Schools is working with other districts around the Metro, looking for more ways to help.
