UVALDE — Heavy rain flooded South Texas rivers and creeks last Tuesday morning, sending floodwaters into Uvalde. Sammie Magee, a 19-year-old philanthropist from Kansas, collected the names of families affected by the flooding to organize relief efforts.

Magee considers Uvalde her second home and has maintained ties to the community since she was 15 years old when the Robb Elementary School shooting occurred. She started Sammie’s Toy Drive for Uvalde families four years ago, initially holding a family-friendly event every November before expanding to include an Angel Tree Drive for Christmas and a back-to-school drive in the summer.

Approximately 35 families have applied for help through Amazon wish lists organized by Magee. At least two families of Robb Elementary shooting victims and survivors were among those affected by the flooding. Flooded homes of survivor families experienced damage such as buckling floors, and some flood-affected families lost school supplies they had recently purchased.

Magee felt a connection to victim Amerie Joe Garza because Garza was a junior Girl Scout and Magee has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten. “She kind of started all of this for me, and now it’s such an honor to say that I’m really close with her family.” Local charities in Uvalde, including the Salvation Army, were at capacity during the floods, prompting Magee to prioritize Amazon gift card donations.

The Amazon wish lists include cleaning products, diapers, formula, clothes, bedding, toys, and trauma support items such as weighted blankets, weighted stuffed animals, and fidget toys. “Floods really take away a child’s sense of security; I mean, they can lose everything in an instant,” Magee said. “We have Amazon wish lists going for — it’s about 35 families now that have applied for help.” Magee’s flood relief effort raised $800 in Amazon gift cards, with a goal of $1,000 to purchase essentials for 35 families.

“We are prioritizing the neighborhoods that were directly hit by the floods that lost their homes, but if we do get those lists cleared, then we can move on to the other families too because we just want to help the community as much as we can,” Magee said. People can request to help Uvalde families with flood relief through the Sammie’s Toy Drive website. Magee provides links to Amazon wish lists or allows donations via PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App on the site.

she noted that her social media connections reflect her focus on the Texas city. “I have more Facebook friends of Uvalde than my own hometown,” she said. Magee plans to visit Kerr County in November to conduct her annual toy drive, expanding relief efforts to flood-affected families.

The flooding impacted families already dealing with the aftermath of the Robb Elementary School shooting, a tragedy that has been the subject of ongoing academic study. A study titled Lessons Learned from the Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas School Shooting was published in the Open Journal of Social Sciences. Research titled Massacre vs. Shooting: Exploring CNN and FOX’s Coverage of the Uvalde Robb Elementary School Attack was published in the DU Undergraduate Research Journal.