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'It breaks my heart': Louisburg woman collecting donations for Texas flood victims

'It breaks my heart': Louisburg woman collecting donations for Texas flood victims
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LOUISBURG, Kan. — Though she's never met them, 18-year-old Sammie Magee can tell you the names and characteristics of the 21 victims of the Uvalde school shooting.

"Jackie was nine," Magee said, pointing out some of the kids. "She wanted to be a vet when she grew up."

'It breaks my heart': Louisburg woman collecting donations for Texas flood victims

Magee's mission of collecting toys and donations started in Texas, helping families and friends affected by the shooting at Robb Elementary School. She's hosted two toy drives and plans to host another in November.

But now, Magee is also being called to help folks who suffered from the Kerr County floods. It's important to Magee because it's less than 100 miles away from Uvalde.

It's especially hard for Magee to see the young victims from Camp Mystic.

"It's reminded me a lot of the days and weeks after Uvalde happened," Magee said. "Just going on Facebook and seeing pictures of these kids, and then the next day finding out they're gone."

Magee started outreach for donations on the first day of the floods, less than a week ago. Churches in that area of Texas are at complete capacity, so Magee is asking for Amazon gift cards and monetary donations.

It's all in the name of the memory of the Uvalde victims.

"It started with them, so we're gonna continue to honor them," Magee said.

Magee wants to eventually connect with the families who lost loved ones in the flooding.

"One of the little girls, Lanie, I read about her this morning, and how she loved her animals," Magee said.

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Sammie Magee shows off the donations she's collected for families in Uvalde, Texas.

She hopes to wear their memories on her sleeve and take them with her as she continues to help others.

"It's my job to make sure they're remembered and to say their names," Magee said.

If you'd like to donate to Sammie's Toy Drive, you can give via CashApp ($Sammiestoydrive), Venmo (@Sammie-Magee), and Amazon gift cards.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

KSHB 41 reporter Caroline Hogan covers development across the Kansas City area. Share your story idea with Caroline.