In the week leading up to the rivalry football game between LT and Hinsdale Central on Friday, Oct. 13, the schools changed the tune of their typical competitive spirits and decided to do a joint fundraiser to help the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

“Just to do something different, especially because of the people who are going to benefit from this,” LT’s Activity Director Peter Geddeis said. “It is not something nebulous like a particular disease research or a general non-profit like it has been in the past. It’s something that seems like it is a little more noble.”

Together the schools raised $5,552.75. It is not yet decided which hurricane relief organization that the money will go to, but the activity directors are looking for a small charity that will be able to give the money directly to the victims, not towards the salaries of their administration.

“When we collect money like this, it allows the relief organizations to get what they need for Puerto Rico,” Student Council President Brandt Siegfried ‘18 said. “It is not us telling them what they need. It is them having the ability to get what they need, which allows them to do the most good.”

At Hinsdale Central, the ecology club, National Honor Society and Student Council have been doing collections, along with the money raised by T-shirt sales for the football game, Activities Director Sally Phillip said.  Their AP language department is also allowing students who made a donation to paint their handprint on a pillar in the cafeteria to remember them for making a difference.

At LT, Student Council carried around cans to collect donations from students on Thursday, Oct. 12 and Friday, Oct. 13. The Spanish Club, World Language Departments, and Treble Choir pooled the money they raised with Student Council to go towards the grand total.

“We come from a position where we have so much, and [the Puerto Ricans] lost so much,” Pilar Valdes ‘19, North Campus Vice President of Student Council, said. “They are just not in the position to recover the same way that we would be able to recover from a natural disaster, so recognizing our privilege and giving back is really important.”