When the Friendswood, Alvin, and Alvin Sunrise Rotary Clubs heard that an F2 tornado hit Walt Disney Elementary School in Alvin ISD, home to over 450 elementary students and staff, over the Christmas break, like everyone we were grateful that there was no loss of life and that there was a place to go for all of the students.
The school staff and students quickly moved to a vacant school building in the school district and performed the second of what we will call a miracle--no school time was missed and the kids were back in their seats learning just as if nothing had happened.
There was an all-call for school supplies and the community came together and provided for that need 10 fold.
At the Friendswood Rotary Club, we wanted to do something for the school, for the community, and for the teachers. We spoke with Renea Rives, a fellow Rotarian of the Alvin Rotary Club, and said, "Let's think outside the box. Let's figure something out to do." Within an hour, she called us back and we had the idea of doing something for the teachers, the teachers' lounge.
When we came in and looked at the space, it was beige cinder block with a couple of tables so that the teachers could eat, but the microwaves and the refrigerators were on the same breaker so if all of the appliances were in use then they would flip a breaker, I sure it was always an interesting break time.
We came together with all of the talents and treasures from the Friendswood, Alvin, and Alvin Sunrise Rotary Clubs to work on this joint project. We wanted it to be something special even though we know a new Walt Disney School will be built and they will only be in this school for the next 3-5 years, we wanted it to be a place that they truly could come in here and take the well-deserved break that they need during the day…even if it is just for 10 minutes before they go back to the classroom to change lives.