JACKSON TWP - Staff and students in all buildings in the Seneca Valley School District are collecting money for the American Red Cross to aid victims of Hurricane Katrina.

However, here are a few of the more creative fund-raising ideas in the district for hurricane relief:

Evans City Elementary/Middle School students are waging a friendly and philanthropic contest to see who can collect the most change. Coins will be collected for a number of days, and the classroom in each of the seven grade levels collecting the most money will be treated to an extra recess period.

Also at Evans City, staff members will conduct a "boot drive" along Route 68 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Staff members will hold out rubber boots to motorists, who can drop in their donations. Evans City police will provide a car with flashing lights and flares for the event.

Evans City Elementary/Middle School students and staff can make a donation through the school, which will then display a paper hand or heart including the donor's name.

Seneca Valley Intermediate School ROTC students will collect cash at each varsity football game this season.

Leadership classes at the intermediate will collect money from students during lunch periods in conjunction with a guest speaker from the Red Cross.

The student council will sell food during the school's open house on Sept. 27, with all proceeds going to Gulf state hurricane relief organizations.

The senior high school's student leadership council raised money at the first Raiders football game as well as in the school building. While council members have already raised $1,200, they plan to collect more money during homecoming festivities from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.

Seneca Valley Education Association members will donate money to send supplies to Burgin Elementary School in Arlington, Texas. The school is taking on numerous students who are hurricane refugees.

The principal of Burgin Elementary, Sheila Madden, is a childhood friend of Polly Shaw, who is president of the Seneca Valley Education Association.

The supplies area usually bought by parents of the students.

Shaw said the Arlington Independent School District has been told to prepare for 2,600 new students, and teachers are rapidly being hired.