Jan. 22 update: As of 4 p.m. today, Uni donations have reached $15,000, according to Assistant Director Sue Kovacs. The graphic featured with this article has been updated to reflect that amount. The original total when this article was first published on Jan. 19 was $12,042.

URBANA — Last Thursday, when Assistant Director Sue Kovacs called upon Uni students to donate to the Haiti relief effort by the American Red Cross, she never expected more than $300.

Now, five days later, the Uni community has donated a total of $12,042.69, and the school continues to accept donations in the main office.

“I never anticipated more than $300,” said Kovacs. “This was a lesson for the [students] to show that $1 could make a difference and $300 would make a huge difference.”

Disaster struck Haiti on Jan. 12 when a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean nation.

Help is pouring in as fast as it can, with support coming from all corners of the globe, including at least $100 million from the U.S. government.

In an e-mail to the student body, Kovacs pledged to give $50 if she could collect $300 from the students. Following her message, many parents and several teachers replied and promised to match Kovacs’ donation.

According to Kovacs, 87 parents have pledged via e-mail. Most donations fell in the $50 to $100 range, and two parents even gave $1,000.

Kovacs continues to be impressed by the student response to the disaster, and she hopes that they have learned a valuable lesson.

“In the real world, you need to learn to give what you can — even when you’re in grad school, when you may not have that much money,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be dollars. It can be nickels, dimes, whatever. You just need to give what you can.”