Sooner Safe Project launches after Miami FFA warns of storm-shelter shortage
Sooner Safe Project launches after Miami FFA warns of storm-shelter shortage
Miami — The Sooner Safe Project officially launched Thursday after Miami FFA students raised alarms that the community lacks sufficient public storm shelters, organizers said.
Miami Public Schools (MPS) students and project leaders announced plans to visit every school in the district to teach severe-weather safety and distribute emergency “Weather Go Bags” that include a battery-powered weather radio, a flashlight, a whistle, a fleece blanket and a reusable water bottle.
"When students are prepared, they don't have to be scared," said Cooper Harrison, one of the Miami FFA students honored by project organizers for his role in presenting the effort. "We want every kid in our district to know where to go and what to take when bad weather hits."
Students from Miami FFA discovered what organizers described as a gap in local shelter capacity: while Ottawa County experienced seven confirmed tornadoes so far this year, organizers say the county has only about 500 residential storm shelters available — a disparity that helped prompt the project. The Sooner Safe Project aims to assemble and distribute 100 Weather Go Bags at an estimated cost of $2,100.
The Inter-Tribal Council, which invited project leaders to present Thursday and provided a generous donation, will help the project reach additional students, organizers said. "Their support is already expanding how many classrooms we can visit," said Bryson Walker, a fellow student presenter.
Organizers outlined an education-first approach: short classroom presentations, student drills and the distribution of Go Bags to classrooms and community partners. "This is about building habits and confidence," said a project coordinator. "If kids know what to do, schools run more smoothly during a storm and parents can breathe easier."
Why FFA involvement matters
FFA — originally founded in 1928 as Future Farmers of America and now known as the National FFA Organization — is an intracurricular student organization for those interested in agriculture and leadership. The organization describes its mission as developing students’ potential for leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. 0
FFA is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States and continues to grow: recent National FFA membership figures show the organization has more than one million members and thousands of local chapters nationwide. 1
Local FFA chapters like Miami FFA often lead community-focused projects that extend classroom learning into civic action, organizers said. "This project shows how students can identify a local problem and drive a real solution," said an MPS official in attendance.
Project leaders are asking the public and local businesses to consider donations or sponsorships to help reach the 100-Go-Bag goal and potentially expand distribution. For information about donating or volunteering, contact the Sooner Safe Project through Miami FFA or the MPS district office.
Congratulations were also extended to presenters Cooper Harrison and Bryson Walker for their work on the proposal and presentation that helped launch the effort.
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