A local elementary student, Andrew Frayer, has been diagnosed with a terrible disease, stage four bone cancer. As if that wasn’t enough to test the family, while everyone was out of their house, it burned to the ground. No one was hurt, but it was a total loss, which came at a time when the family had nothing left to lose.

At times like these, the Rolla community comes together to help one another. There was a chili supper to raise money for the family that also had a silent auction going at the same time. The day after this tragedy, so many people posted on Ellen Degeneres’ Facebook profile, in hopes that she might see the post and then help the family in any way she can.

Another way the people of Rolla are helping out comes from the school itself. Coach Amy Luna’s advisory class has started a project of organizing ways to help the family out.

“We’re attempting to have an assembly for him and all of the proceeds are going to him and his family,” junior Sam Callier said.

Much like the Key Club fundraiser last year, this assembly involves teachers getting very, very messy.

“At lunch or before school we’re going to have money jars and you put money in them to vote for the teachers [and] the teachers with the most money get pied [at the assembly],” Callier said.

When tragedy strikes, the sense of community that Rolla has is apparent and always finds a way to help those in need.

“None of us wanted to just be sitting around doing nothing during advisory when we could actually be helping someone,” Callier said.