After hearing about a fundraising campaign for Hurricane Katrina victims that's spread to 14 schools across the country, Hazel Atienza decided to get MSU involved in the effort.
The chemistry freshman started the MSU chapter of the Blow-a-Kiss campaign with the help of some friends, the Facebook Web site and advertisements posted around campus.
Grace Kim, a student at Rutgers University in Newark, N.J., started the campaign after she saw news coverage on television.
"I found it horrifying, I started crying because it was so awful and I was completely traumatized that the government wasn't doing much," Kim said.
She decided selling T-shirts would be a good way to raise money and named the project the Blow-a-Kiss campaign because it's optimistic and hopeful.
"It's just a very happy little thing that can bring light to a horrible situation," she said.
At MSU, Atienza is selling Blow-a-Kiss T-shirts for $12, with proceeds going to the American Red Cross.
"In addition to giving money, you also get a shirt out of it," she said. "It's also a way of advertising it to get more people to give money."
The T-shirts are green with the Blow-a-Kiss slogan, and the names of areas affected by the hurricane.
About 20 people have ordered T-shirts, and Atienza said she plans to get more.
"We're a huge university, so I'm hoping that we can bring in a lot of money," she said, adding that she plans to set up tables at the International Center and Bryan Hall to collect additional funds.
There have been about 100 orders for T-shirts at Rutgers-Newark, and more orders have been coming in from other universities, Kim said.
She got other universities involved by using the Facebook Web site to contact friends at schools across the country.
Atienza got help spreading the campaign from social work freshman Maggie Thome, who said she donated her time and money to help the people in need in New Orleans.
"It's not their fault that the hurricane came through, and they should have support," Thome said.
Political science freshman Jaclyn Roman ordered a T-shirt from Atienza after she saw a poster about the campaign in her dorm.
"It was something we could do right away," Roman said. "It's good to give money, but it's also cool to get a really cute shirt and show your support at the same time."
