Area University Of Alabama Student Responsible For Record Red Cross Donation

March 28, 2010

Thanks to a young man from Atmore, the University of Alabama Community Service Center presented $10,000 to the West Alabama Chapter of the American Red Cross last week.

The donation came from the work of Tray Smith, a UA freshman majoring in economics from Atmore, as part of Haiti outreach efforts on campus.

According to Neal Hardin, emergency services specialist with the American Red Cross, it was the largest donation ever obtained by a single student from a Southeastern Conference school given to a local Red Cross chapter. The West Alabama Chapter of the Red Cross named Smith a superhero for his efforts.

The donation came from The Better Life Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to helping young adults and children in need. The donation will support relief efforts in Haiti and encourage UA students to contribute and fulfill their moral responsibilities, says Smith.

The Better Life Foundation is supported by the popular band 3 Doors Down and named after their first album, The Better Life.

“We secured the funding because of our plan to use it to encourage students to give more and participate in the relief effort,” said Smith. “It is our hope in the Student Government Association that having 3 Door’s Down sponsor our Haiti relief effort will encourage students to be more giving and to follow the band’s example. We also hope this will inspire our student body to be more socially conscious in general and to live lives worthy of our school’s commitment to public service.”

Comments

3 Responses to “Area University Of Alabama Student Responsible For Record Red Cross Donation”

  1. rollingwiththetide on March 29th, 2010 7:07 am

    Set goals – high goals for you and your organization. When your organization has a goal to shoot for, you create teamwork, people working for a common good.
    Bear Bryant..quote

    Thank you Trey for you dedication to this cause. Roll Tide Roll!

  2. Tracey Hodgen on March 28th, 2010 8:23 pm

    I am so proud of you Tray. You are always looking for ways to make something or someone better. Keep it up!

  3. area teacher! on March 28th, 2010 7:53 pm

    Just goes to show that one person can make a difference in the world. Great job Trey! Another fine graduate from Escambia County HIgh School that is making a positive difference.