The History Club at the University of Missouri-Rolla is raising funds to send books and supplies to schools in American Samoa that were damaged by two cyclones in February. Students in the club will sell books and baked goods to raise the money.

The book and baked-goods sales will be held from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday, March 10, and Friday, March 11, on the first floor of the Humanities-Social Sciences Building on the UMR campus.

In February, the American territory was hit first by Cyclone Olaf, then by Cyclone Percy. Damage reports estimate 99 percent of the homes on the island T’au were destroyed. Students in the UMR History Club chose the plight of Samoan school children as their service project.

"We wanted to relieve some of the stress caused by the cyclones’ destruction," says Rebecca Rose, a junior in history from Linn, Mo. "By giving books and school supplies to the elementary schools, we hope to shift the children’s focus away from the devastation."

Dr. Diana Ahmad, assistant professor of history and UMR archivist, is serving as the club’s liaison to American Samoa.

For more information, contact Ahmad at (573) 341-4817 or email ahmadd@mst.edu.