Dayton Gems and Wright State Students Will Help with Tornado Relief in the Midwest

June 7, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Dayton Gems News Release


The Dayton Gems and Wright State University are teaming up to send ten people to Joplin, MO to help with the relief efforts following the devastating tornadoes that hit the city back in May.

The group will consist of members from the Dayton Gems staff and students from Wright State University. While in Joplin, the group will have the opportunity to help in a number of different ways including: debris clean-up, separating donations and preparing meals for those who have been left homeless.

In addition to sending help, the group of ten will also be taking supplies and other items to help those in the area.

"One of the main focuses of the Dayton Gems is to go out in the community and have a positive presence wherever we can. In this case, we've just increased the area in which we are helping people," said Ryan Hehr, Director of Community and Media Relations. "The fact that we were able to get students from Wright State to join us in this effort shows just how willing people in the Dayton area are to lend a helping hand."

This is not the first time the Gems have reached out to those in need. In December, the Gems donated a Christmas tree, gifts and food to a young mother who was battling cancer after her husband was deployed overseas. As part of their Pack the House promotion in April, the Gems were able to raise more than $10,000 for Kyle Terrian, a Bethel High School graduate who is battling a rare form of cancer.

The Gems have also helped other organizations, including the Diabetes of Dayton, The Noble Circle Project of Dayton and the Women's Wellness Fund at the Kettering Medical Center.

Wright State is no stranger to helping areas that have been hit by natural disasters. In 2007, WSU sent 13 students to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of the area near the Gulf of Mexico. Students wrote letters of reflection following the trip and described their experience as "amazing" and "rewarding."

Students attending the upcoming trip to Missouri are already sharing some of those same feelings.

"We're pulling together people and resources to help others who are suffering - that's a wonderful thing," said Wright State student Tiffany Watts. "We can't really make monetary contributions because we're students on tight budgets, but we can give our time and energy to a good cause."

The group will be departing for Joplin on Sunday, June 19 and return on Saturday, June 25. Between now and their departure, the group will be organizing ways to collects goods and money to contribute to the trip and Joplin area.

Anyone interested in donating to the trip or would like to know more can call the Gems at 937-275-7777.

The Kettering Medical Center is proud to be the official title sponsor of the Dayton Gems.



Central Hockey League Stories from June 7, 2011


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