COLERAIN TOWNSHIP — In just five days, an effort called Colerain Township Loves America has raised more than $15,000 for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

        “I was confident that the people of Colerain Township would really want to rally together; it's such a community-oriented place,” said Eileen Schroeder, who spearheaded the distribution of patriotic lapel pins and bows in exchange for donations.

        The Colerain Township Business District picked up the tab for materials — about $500 — and township government provided the venue, Mrs. Schroeder said. Donation sites were set up at all township fire stations, the Colerain Senior and Community Center and at Northgate Station.

        Township trustee Diana Lynn Rielage said: “I thought if we could make $5,000, wouldn't that be fantastic. But we were literally making them as people were lined up waiting for them.”

        Across the Tristate, schoolchildren continue to raise money for the American Red Cross and other rescue and recovery efforts.

        Mason schools, for example, raised nearly $12,000 through Monday from various efforts, from second-grade classes collecting change to high school students selling snow cones at last Friday night's football games.

        In Glendale, seventh- and eighth-grade students on their own — after getting Principal Joe Epplen's approval — organized a fund-raising drive this week to collect for firefighters and victims' families. They collect every day during lunch period.

        They are collecting money every day this week in the cafeteria during lunchtime.

        At St. Xavier High School, the $1,700 split-the-pot raffle from last week's football game will be donated to the American Red Cross. The school also will donate proceeds from the gate receipts and profits from the concession stand sales.

        Fort Mitchell Fire & EMS created a Web site, www.AmericaMourns2001.com, where it sells T-shirts, sweatshirts, coffee mugs, and mouse pads with a photo of the World Trade Center towers in their pre-attack appearance with the inscription “In Memory Of Fallen Heroes.” All profits from the sales will be donated to the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund and the World Trade Center Police Disaster Relief Fund.

        U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester, said the federal government should assist the nation's ailing airline industry by repaying about $1 billion in net losses caused by the mandated shutdown after the terrorist attacks, providing emergency loans and delaying its federal tax payment deadline by at least six months.

        “This would give the airline industry some breathing room,” he said while back home this week. “The airline industry is a very critical part of our economy.”

        Airline officials have said their industry may need as much as $20 billion from the federal government. Government officials need to figure out exactly how much is needed, Mr. Boehner said.

        Mr. Boehner pointed out that the airline industry was on unsteady financial ground before the terrorist attacks. The situation has reached crisis proportions because the airlines are paying fixed costs while facing a severe drop in ridership.

        Brian Naranjo, a spokesperson for the American Legion, said the organization's flag sales have soared. “(Flag sales have) been tenfold in the last week. You could combine Flag Day, Fourth of July and Memorial Day, and you still wouldn't get the amount of flags we've sold in the last week.”

        Compiled by Steve Kemme and Chris Mayhew, and contributors Sarah Buehrle, Angela T. Koenig and Nancy Young.

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