At 7:15 a.m. on a typical Friday, a line of cars backed up on Tiger Drive is expected as students rush to make it to first hour on time.

But at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, March 17, a line of cars had formed on Tiger Drive for a more noble reason.
Little Tigers Football organized a donation drive at EHS to benefit the seven orphaned Campbell children ranging from an infant to 14 years old, according to the Belleville News Democrat. The six oldest children are involved in the LTF program as football players or cheerleaders, but all of their lives were affected on Thursday, March 16, when their house was set ablaze, father was shot and mother’s body found drowned in a lake.

“As soon as the program found out whom (the family) was, they organized a donation drive,” junior Sydney Kolnsberg said. “When I heard about it, I knew I had to help.”

Kolnsberg has younger siblings who know the Campbell children from LTF and are around the same age, so she said the travesty hit close to home. She encouraged her friends and family to join her in her fundraising efforts.

“To lose everything you know in a matter of hours is terrifying,” she said. “I just wanted to give them all a hug and tell them it would be okay.”

Although Kolnsberg knew the situation would be impactful, she said didn’t realize just how moving it would be to see so many different people come together.

“As people began walking up with bags of clothing and hand written notes to the kids, I was overwhelmed with emotions,” she said. “It really hit me how much the kids had lost which made me sad, but hearing people’s stories about how they drove an hour to bring books and toys or skipped their lunch break to go shopping for the kids warmed my heart.”

As Kolnsberg sorted through the donations, she said she was inspired by what they had done so far but knew there was more work to be done.

“The kids will have enough clothes and toys for now, but kids grow up,” she said. “They are going to need things in the future, and hopefully go to college someday.”

So Kolnsberg shifted her efforts to monetary donations. Just one week after the LTF donation drive, Kolnsberg and her peers held another fundraiser, Caps for Campbells, and they looked to EPIC sponsor Mrs. Sanders for help.

“Sydney came to me the weekend before we held the event,” Mrs. Sanders said. “She had the idea, and I talked to administration and the office to make it happen.”

Once the fundraiser was approved at Hadley House and EHS, Kolnsberg and Mrs. Sanders ironed out the details. For a minimum donation of $1, students could purchase a sticker to wear a hat all day on Friday. From the estimated 800 students who participated, Mrs. Sanders said they raised $1,010.

“The students were willing and eager to help out in any way. They jumped in with open arms,” Mrs. Sanders said. “Some even donated and didn’t wear a hat just to support the cause.”

Mrs. Sanders said there was a wide range of money donated, from $1 in quarters to $20 bills; one student even donated $100.

Although Kolnsberg was happy the fundraiser was so successful, she said she wasn’t surprised by the students’ support.

“If I were in their shoes, I know the community would have my back, so I had theirs,” she said. “To know we live in such a great community that supports each other makes me proud to be a Tiger.”