DES MOINES, Iowa — What's the best part of the school day?
For many students, it's lunch. A chance to catch up with friends and get some rest in the middle of a busy day.
But on Wednesday, students at Meredith Middle School got some especially sweet treats for a great cause.
A simple message got dozens of students to surround a single cafeteria table-- "Donut" forget about Puerto Rico.
Students lined up to buy pastries, lemonade and more to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Fiona.
The idea came from Spanish teacher Johanys Alvarez, who's from Puerto Rico.
"Maria was five years ago and destroyed the island," Alvarez said. "So when Fiona happened, we actually felt like it was another Hurricane Maria, and I knew that I had to do something."
Last year during Hispanic Heritage Month, Alvarez and her students threw a celebration for the occasion. This year, they put that effort into helping others instead.
Dulce Torres, a student at Meredith, said she wasn't expecting so many of her classmates to pitch in.
"I'm just surprised that all these kids here are willing to help out with something that happened where they don't live," Torres said. "Like, they care about where other people live, too."
The fundraiser was such a success that at one point, the table actually ran out of donuts and a teacher had to go buy more.
After all was said and done, the event raised more than $400, which will be split between El Foster Club and Taller Salud.
As recovery efforts continue, Alvarez is happy that she was able to shine a light on a crisis that often doesn't get as much time in the spotlight.
"[People] forget about Puerto Rico," she said. "So this is just more bringing awareness that it's happening and that we need to be aware, we need to donate, we have to be proactive and help these people."