ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — Yesterday, Anne Arundel County Public Schools launched #LiftLa.
The campaign seeks to do just that, lift the LA community from the ashes by raising funds for the Los Angeles Unified School District students and their families affected by the deadly wildfires.
To date, over two dozen people have lost their lives in the flames.
That's in addition to the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their homes and schools.
In announcing the campaign, AACPS Superintendent Dr. Mark Bedell released a statement saying in part, "Our efforts can make a difference for children we may never meet, but whose lives can be bettered by our generosity."
Beginning on Wednesday, January 22, students and parents can bring donations to schools and school offices in the county.
When speaking of the importance of this campaign, Northeast High School Principal Doug Schreiber referenced Anne Arundel County's mindest of "Belong, Grow, Succeed."
"I think this is an opportunity for our students to realize helping people belong, grow, and succeed is bigger than us, it's bigger than our school, it's even bigger than our school community," Schreiber said.
Northeast High senior Mackenzie Weiland tries to complete the impossible task of putting herself in the shoes of her peers across the country who have lost so much.
She told WMAR-2 News if she were in that same situation she would just want to know someone cares.
"Like the saying "it takes a village," it's going to take a village to build LA again and it's important to have a positive support system going into a crucial situation like that," Weiland said.
She sent a lasting message to students and families struggling with loss saying, it's all going to be ok.
All donations will go directly to The Los Angeles Unified School District Education Foundation.
Checks can be made out to the Education Foundation of Anne Arundel County Public Schools with the notation #LiftLa in the memo line.
Online donations can be made at here.
The campaign runs through February 28.
