NEW ORLEANS — In the wake of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, a New Orleans businesswoman has started an online fundraising campaign to pay for the installation of rapid safety systems in New Orleans schools.
“We have to do something,” said Krista Pouncy-Dyson, founder of the ad agency Performance First Digital. “I can’t begin to imagine what that community is going through.”
Pouncy-Dyson has published a GoFundMe campaign and she said she’s partnered with local education nonprofit BE NOLA to manage the funds.
“We lost 19 beautiful, talented, intelligent children under the age of 11 and two dedicated teachers who had no way to protect themselves from an active shooter,” she said. “I am a mother of four, and I have two grandchildren. My heart goes out to all of the people who have been affected by this complete disregard for humanity. If you are sick and tired of the senseless loss of life at our schools across this country, let’s do something about it together.”
The Go Fund Me page features a video from a company called School Specialty, which manufactures a “quick action” lock system for classrooms. The systems are designed so that students or teachers can quickly lock the doors to their classroom in an emergency.
“Children, teachers, and staff deserve to be able to work and learn with the security that comes with having an immediate lockdown system in every classroom,” said Pouncy-Dyson. “We have the power to stop this senseless loss of life.”
