It's 10:15 a.m. at Whitman Middle School, and Kate Bainbridge, a Whitman teacher, and Kim Ferkingstad, a parent volunteer, are balancing a ladder and hanging strand after strand of paper chains from the ceiling. The chains stretch off down the hallway.

The process might seem tedious and annoying if each one of the thousands of paper chain links did not represent a dollar donated by the students, staff and families of Whitman to go toward Haitian relief after the Jan. 12 earthquake.

In a fundraiser spearheaded by two eighth-grade students, Whitman Middle School has raised $2,074 and counting for the Red Cross since Jan. 20.

Theresa Edwards heard about the disaster in Haiti, and it kindled her passion for fundraising. She and friend Anna Ferkingstad went to Whitman Principal Michael Starosky and proposed the fundraising drive.

Edwards said she thought it would be cool if students got involved in the relief effort.

She said they had a $1,000 goal – about $1 for every student and staff member at Whitman. They doubled that goal in two days.

"I feel really proud of my school," Edwards said. "I didn't realize it would get such a big response from everybody."

Edwards and Ferkingstad said they have a team of about eight other students working with them and have had help from many other students, parents and teachers.

The Haiti relief effort at Whitman is nothing new for Edwards.

She coordinates a giving tree at her church and spent two years pushing for legislation to stop animal abuse in puppy mills. A bill she testified on behalf of was signed by Gov. Gregoire in April.

"It's just something I love to do," Edwards said. "I kind of feel a responsibility to help. I love to make a difference."

She said a lot of people tell her the goals she sets for herself are too high, but she knows she can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.

Edwards said she hopes to continue the fundraising effort through the end of next week and raise even more money for Haiti.