Last year the Iowa Katrina Aid & Relief Effort, an Ames relief group, and the Government of the Student Body came together in an effort to help the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

A group of volunteers left early morning, Sept. 8, 2005, to deliver the donations received. Approximately $27,000 in donations and two semi trailers and one smaller trailer filled with nonperishable items were delivered to Gulfport, Miss.

I-KARE was a nonprofit organization that started in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. It was a combined effort between Ames residents and ISU students.

Christopher Deal, former GSB vice president and senior in mechanical engineering, said I-KARE was a way for college students and Ames residents to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina without having to just give monetary donations.

A variety of items were collected by the relief group including boxes of food, clothing and children’s toys. Deal said many students and Ames residents came out to help with the effort to gather donations and also gave donations of their own to help the hurricane victims.

Terry Fisher, owner of Club 8, 216 Stanton Ave., worked with GSB to form I-KARE after visiting the Gulf Coast a week earlier.

Fisher, one of the members to go to Gulfport, said the effort went well because of the cooperation between I-KARE and the Gulfport officials, according to Daily staff reports.

– Tess Hannapel