Every year during the first week of school, Homestead holds a back to school assembly to motivate the students about the upcoming school year and unite the student body as Highlanders. This year, however, the assembly took a different turn. With increased focus on school pride and community, Principal Brett Bowers introduced Highlanders Together: a school-wide initiative to fundraise for Hurricane Harvey.

According to the Weather Channel, Hurricane Harvey was a category four hurricane that caused large flood disasters in Texas. With millions of dollars in damage, Harvey prompted dozens of fundraisers, such as the JJ Watt Foundation, to spring up around the nation to help raise money for Texas. The JJ Watt foundation aspired to make $2o million  for hurricane relief. To help support this goal, Bowers introduced a school-wide initiative to raise $25,000 by the end of Homecoming week.

At the assembly, Bowers invited Silma Berrada, senior, to speak to the student body about coming together to support a good cause.

“We can show the world on Oct. 6 that we are a movement,” Berrada said.

While initially, the goal was to raise $25,000 for Hurricane Harvey, Mr. Bowers changed the initiative due to the coming of Hurricane Irma in Florida. Instead of raising all the money for Harvey, Bowers split up the campaign in two. All money donated by Sept. 15 would go towards Hurricane Harvey, and money raised from Sept. 15-Oct. 7, would be donated to Global Giving’s Irma Relief Fund.

Highlanders united together to help meet the first goal. At the first football game of the year, the parents and the student section raised over $1,100 for Hurricane Harvey relief. Money was also collected on Curriculum Night, during both lunches, PTSO fundraising, sports teams and Five Minute Friday.

Five Minute Friday was the final donation period for Hurricane Harvey. With help from National Honors Society Members, Friday classes were stopped for five minutes during second hour to fundraise as much money as possible for Hurricane Harvey. Five Minute Friday ended up generating $3,933.93. That afternoon, Bowers sent in the final $14,138.43 donation to the JJ Watt Foundation.

“I love being a Highlander every day. Today has been especially great, though. #highlanderstogether,” Mrs. Tania Renken, English teacher, tweeted.

With their first goal complete, Highlanders will now be fundraising for Hurricane Irma.

“Waking up with zero in the bank for #highlanderstogether. Now the challenge of raising $10,800 for Irma by Homecoming Friday begins,”  Bowers tweeted.

Click on the Storify below to view more tweets about the Highlanders Together campaign: