By David Karas|Correspondent

Who knew that a dress down day could be both fun for students, and a way to reinforce Catholic social service teachings?

Melissa Whelan Wisk, principal of Mother Teresa Regional School, certainly knew it to be true.

After traveling with her daughter – an eighth grader at the school – and another teacher to Oklahoma City over Memorial Day weekend to deliver donations and lend a helping hand to tornado victims there, Wisk returned home and wanted to find a way to help even more.

“I wanted to continue to help the families,” she said. “…We met some wonderful people and I wanted our students to be able to do something to send more support their way.”

So, she organized a dress down day June 6, and invited other area Catholic schools to do the same.

“The students love to have a dress down day,” she said. “This is our final one of the year so it is wonderful that we are able to benefit someone else.”

Wisk’s students were able to raise roughly $180 through the dress down day fundraiser. St. Ann School, Lawrenceville, collected more than $580; Holy Innocents School, Neptune netted $780; St. Jerome School, West Long Branch, chipped in $1,300 in donations, and Holy Cross School, Rumson, raised $1,400. Wisk said donations are also coming in from similar efforts in St. Aloysius School, Jackson, Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, and St. Mary of the Lakes School, Medford. She anticipates a total of nearly $3,000 to be raised through the larger effort.

Donations will be sent to the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City to disburse to Catholic school families and others affected by the tornado.

Mother Teresa Regional School already contributed more than $2,000 in donations and gift cards during the Memorial Day weekend trip as well – raised in the school community in just two days.

Wisk said that contributing monetary donations to the archdiocese is much less cumbersome than trying to ship material donations there, and that the funds could be used to help families with rent or other needs.

And while it is always a good thing to give back, Wisk said that such efforts in the school community help students to gain a certain perspective. Reaching out specifically to Catholic school students in Oklahoma, she says, reminds her students of the larger Church community.

“They realize they are part of a bigger Church,” she said. “They are not the only people who are part of the Church.”

She said the effort also underlines a vital part of the Catholic faith.

“This is what we are called to do,” she said. “We are always called to respond to those in need. You do what you can because that is what you are called to do as a Catholic.”