Sierra Rodriguez used green, pink and yellow crayons Saturday to fill in a large heart on the page of a makeshift coloring book.
“Some kids lost their homes in the hurricane,” said the 6-year-old, whose polka-dot skirt and princess purse matched her crayon choices. “If I was in a hurricane, I would feel good to get a picture.”
Rodriguez’s picture, along with additional drawings and letters from children in Denver’s Highland neighborhood, are being sent to kids who were evacuated from New Orleans and other cities hit by Hurricane Katrina.
The fundraiser and auction organized by Highlands United Methodist Church and Guerin Green, owner of the North Denver News, was only one of many relief efforts that sprouted throughout Colorado on Saturday.
From donation canisters being passed through the football stands at Durango’s Fort Lewis College home opener to a prayer “worship blitz” held by the North Huron Christian Center, Coloradans looked for ways to help the hurricane victims.
Teen bands jammed at a fundraiser in Woodland Park. Residents of Todd Creek communities in Adams County donated socks, shirts and other clothes, as well as cans of food.
Even dogs and cats – with the latest estimates showing that as many as 50,000 could be stranded – were not forgotten.
The Pet Spot in Edwards had middle-school kids volunteeering their time to wash dogs, and local adults giving dog and people massages. All the proceeds are going to the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, said Pet Spot owners Kathryn Rose and Tracy Hearder.
The school has been treating and sheltering animals, including horses, and trying to reunite them with their owners.
Rose and Hearder also have collected animal supplies, including hundreds of pounds of food and kitty litter, to be sent to animal shelters in Louisiana.
“We’re trying to save as many animals as we can,” said Rose, who grew up in Monroe, La., about 300 miles northwest of New Orleans.
Some small businesses found creative ways to raise money. Better Bodies for Women in Greeley had its gym members – and nonmembers – come to a day of half-hour exercise classes and donate a minimum of $12 a person into giant water jugs.
Classes like Brunch Crunch, for a stronger stomach, and the Daisy Duke workout for lean legs attracted a number of women, said Brooke Reid, a supervisor and trainer at the club.
Reid said the gym was inspired by a member whose son is a pastor at St. Thom as Presbyterian Church in Houston. That city has received thousands of evacuees.
The member, Virginia Slaughter, is expected to take supplies to her son in the next week, along with a check for the money raised by the gym.
“Every little bit we can collect goes to someone,” Reid said.
At Highland’s United Methodist Church, massages, wine, restaurant meals and sporting events are being auctioned. Many people, such as 3-year-old Jenna Hicks, already have donated blankets and clothes. New Balance contributed 100 pairs of sneakers.
Paul Brekus, riding an 1885 reproduction of a five-foot-tall, high-wheel bicycle, stopped in at the church auction.
“I’m angry about the victims not getting help from the federal government,” he said. “But in the midst of all this, I feel good helping others and watching so many other people helping others.”
Staff writer Karen Crummy can be reached at 303-820-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com.
