Tornado aftermath reaches the Door

Even though the devastating tornado that struck Ladysmith on Sept. 2, injuring dozens and causing more than $10 million in damages, was across the state from Door County, it hit home for Liz Junion, a teacher at Ss. Peter and Paul School in Institute.

"We had a tornado here, four or five years ago, that hit where my sister was living in Egg Harbor," she said. "Her kids went to Ss. Peter and Paul at the time. This brought back a lot of memories."

Junion, with the help of her homeroom class -- grades four and five -- spearheaded a school drive to collect non-perishable items including toiletries, school supplies and clothing, and cash donations to assist tornado victims.

"It went very well," said Junion. "The whole school did a great job. It turned out to be a three-week project. We were able to collect $300 in monetary donations to the Red Cross in addition to clothing and supplies."

The students added a personal touch to their donations by including greeting cards.

"The cards they made were beautiful," said Junion. "They did such a nice job. I think the kids really learned from this experience. They saw the importance of helping people in need."

Ron Tomes, pupil services director for the Sturgeon Bay School District, who attended college in Ladysmith, delivered the donated items to the drop-off center.

"That was very generous on his part," said Junion. "It worked out well. He has pictures of the damage and is going to do a PowerPoint presentation for our students. Seeing the pictures will bring it even closer to home for the kids."

"It started out something small that we wanted to do to help, but turned into something big," she added. "It was a neat experience. It meant something to me personally that the entire school responded."