by Sunnie Redhouse
Daily Lobo
Students and community members took time out of tailgating to make donations for Hurricane Katrina victims and survivors.
UNM's Red Cross Club had a booth at South Lot to collect donations before Monday's football game.
"It's a chance to help out people in need," student Matt Andrews said. "They would probably do the same for us."
Alexis Day, president of UNM's Red Cross Club, said a lot of people stopped to make donations during the tailgate.
"Students seem to be very concerned and want to help," she said.
UNM's Red Cross Club is a student organization that provides voluntary assistance to the Red Cross. The club has about 40 members.
"I figured the game would be a good place to get donations from students and the community," Day said.
The lack of facilities to store food, water and other needed supplies has led the Red Cross to accept only monetary donations, she said.
"People were donating a lot of checks," Day said. The organization received donations by the hundreds, and they will be counted at the end of this week, she said.
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Senior Megan Tibbit said she felt she had a duty to donate.
"I look at what I have and I feel fortunate," she said. "I feel like I should help."
Not many people donated Monday, Day said, but the amount donated made up for the lack of quantity. She said they received several checks worth up to $300.
"They (UNM students) give as much as they possibly can," Day said.
The club handed out pamphlets with information on Red Cross services, who to contact and ways to make donations.
They also answered questions people had about where they could make other types of donations and anything else they could do to help.
Freshman Manny Pacheco said he donated because the hurricane survivors are going through a hard time and need all they can get.
"I'm doing whatever I can do to help," he said.
Along with UNM's Red Cross Club booth, the Red Cross of New Mexico had two other booths set up inside the stadium with volunteers accepting donations.
