On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall as a catastrophic Category 4 storm in Florida. The Imagine Schools at North Port elementary and high school campuses, located near the Gulf Coast, were hit very hard. Staff, students, and their families are still dealing with the aftermath caused by the extreme flooding and winds.
To help those impacted by the storm, students from Imagine Schools campuses across Florida came together to assist their sister school in need.
Principal Stephanie Standley and teacher Brian Doyle from Imagine Chancellor in Boynton Beach rented a van with a trailer and drove 200 miles (one way) across state to deliver a variety of supplies in person to North Port families and teachers.
Imagine Lakewood Ranch and Imagine North Manatee worked in partnership with Barbara A. Harvey Elementary, a local district school, to collect two busloads of donations from the community for North Port. Donations included food, baby and pet supplies, as well as numerous school supplies from Target.
Imagine Schools at Land O’Lakes donated $2,000 to five teachers who lost everything in the storm, and they are still collecting to this day.
“My heart is filled with pride,” commented Rod Sasse, Executive Vice President of Imagine Schools West/South Florida region. “This wonderfully warm gesture is a perfect example of our Shared Values and our mission in action. The power of our collective Imagine family is stronger than any storm and by coming together we can support our families in need during this time of crisis.”