DWU students, staff to help Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans

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More than six years later, there are still families displaced because of Hurricane Katrina.

This spring break, Dakota Wesleyan students plan to help give a few of those families a home.

DWU students and staff will set off for a spring break road trip to New Orleans this March, but instead of traipsing around Bourbon Street, the 33-person crew will be rebuilding homes — and lives — for people displaced due to the hurricane that took the lives of at least 1,833 people in 2005 — making it one of the five deadliest hurricanes to hit the United States.

DWU will work with the Epworth Project out of Slidell, La., which continues to repair and rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

The DWU mission team will continue fundraising up until the time they depart, visiting churches in and around Mitchell.

Four staff members will accompany the 29 students to New Orleans: campus minister Brandon Vetter; Diana Goldammer, director of student life; Leah Rado, sports information director; and Mari Olson, university relations.

Students attending the trip are: Matt Britt, Rapid City; Breanna Clark, Loveland, Colo.; Amanda Dixon, Mitchell; Kari Durham, Cape Coral, Fla.; Skyler Eriksen, Presho; Sara Fathke, Parkston; Sara Fouberg, Woonsocket; Mackenzie Grimme, Fairmont, Minn.; Colleen Hannum, Bakersfield, Calif.; Mara Herman, Presho; Valerie Hummel, Utica; Hannah Kalb, Mitchell; Autumn Krueger, Harrisburg; Alex Kuehler, Sturgis; Ross Leonhardt, Sioux Falls; Kim Maas, Corsica; Alicia McKnight, Flandreau; Christen Mitchell, Platte; Justin Mitchell, Copperas Cove, Texas; Analisa Morel, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Emily Olsen, Platte; Samantha Sandau, Tripp; Jedd Schlicht, Woonsocket; Kayla Summerville, Platte; Carrie Swanson, Spearfish; Kelli Swenson, Chamberlain; Josh Thompson, Lead; Tara Van Hofwegen, Humboldt; and Jasmin Vant, Canton.

Tags: dakota wesleyan university, spring break, new orleans, life, news, updates, dwu, katrina, hurricane, charity