Heading to New Orleans

NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- At 9 a.m. this Saturday -- the first day of spring break here at St. Olaf -- some 150 St. Olaf students will board buses to begin a 24-hour drive straight to New Orleans. They could have visited their families or flown to a beach for the week, but instead these "Oles" ("OH-lees" -- that's what we call St. Olaf students and alumni) are going to help New Orleans residents continue to rebuild their city in the ongoing aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

Last year some 200 St. Olaf students paved the way for this year's crew when they traveled to New Orleans and Biloxi, Miss., to help clean up just one year after the disaster (read more about the original Ole Spring Relief trip in St. Olaf Magazine -- scroll down to the spring 2006 issue and select "Love Your Neighbor").

This year's trip, like last year's, is being conducted in cooperation with Lutheran Disaster Response.

So please stay tuned. Once we're off the buses I plan to add to this blog multiple times daily -- with photos.