Hawley comes together with fundraising efforts

HAWLEY, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – Last week, the Hawley and Hodges communities were hit by a devastating EF-3 tornado. In response, Jason Dokey, City Council Place One and Mayor Pro-tem, has stated that many people from across the Big Country have come forward to offer their help. Despite being the usual location for city leaders in most communities, the Hawley city hall has become a primary donation drop-off center.

“More people than we probably seen in this building. The phone was ringing off the hook all day long with people donating. It was just devasting to see everything wiped away,” shared Dokey.

As a long-time Hawley resident, he was proud to see the community come together and donate items like children’s toys, dog food, and water.

“There was no hesitation for people to rally around each other, help out when needed, picking up stuff, and helping with housing and lodging,” explained Dokey.

However, some people help in different ways. About 70 fourth graders at Hawley Elementary are taking matters into their own hands by creating a lemonade stand fundraiser as part of a class assignment. One of the fourth-grade teachers, Tara Nelson, came up with the idea.

“Immediately, I was just like, well, we have to fundraise for our families, our students, and our community. The timing was crazy, but it really worked out. The kids have really been passionate about raising something that means something to them,” added Nelson.

These students are learning the importance of kindness and how to be an entrepreneur.

“They came up with their own name for the stand and their own commercial. They made signs to hang all over the school, and then they had their own posters and everything,” explained Nelson.

They raised a little more than one thousand dollars in total, which will help families impacted by the tornado.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com.