By Amy Moore

The News staff writer

BRIDGE CITY — A mix between a shopping mall and a swap meet, the halls of Bridge City Middle School have transformed from a place where teens chatter and gossip to a place where teachers hunt for attire.

Compliments of Aurora Sertoma and many other groups, one hallway and several classrooms were piled full of clothes for men, women and children as a way to help district employees and their families recover after Hurricane Ike.

“Our motto is Service to Mankind,” Carolyn Collette, vice president of Aurora Sertoma explained. “This was just a way we could do that.”

Collette, a former teacher herself, said when tragedy strikes, teachers generally worry about their students first, their families second and rarely of themselves.

Lynn Richard, a teachers at Sims Elementary, is a shining example of that.

Richard not only lost her house in Hurricane Ike, but she also lost her classroom and “20 years of everything.”

Instead of picking up clothes, shoes and accessories for herself at the clothing pick-up site Wednesday, she was sifting for teaching materials.

“I’m getting things for centers, things related to literature,” the second grade teacher said as she held up a Curious George doll. “I found stuffed animals and board games like checkers.”

Bridge City Middle School principal Kelly McBride said she was overwhelmed with the amount of items donated to help her co-workers.

“It’s a wonderful thing. Every time I turn around there are more organizations wanting to donate,” she said. “It makes your heart feel good.”

McBride said she knows there is a great need for clothing — one of her teachers showed up to the pick-up site wearing the only pair of shoes she has left after Ike washed way her others.

Collette said the drive Sertoma held Sunday to gather clothes for the Bridge City teachers was more successful than she could have imagined.

“I sent one email to my Sertoma friends about this drive and look what it turned into,” she said gesturing to the thousands of articles of clothes lining the halls of the school. “In first ten minutes of the drive my little boxes I brought were full.”