A joint donation campaign between UT and Texas A&M to raise funds for students affected by the recent severe winter weather kicked off Feb. 26.

The storm caused millions in the state to lose power and water, and many cities, including Austin, were placed on a boil water notice. UT students reported living without power or water for days, and busted water pipes caused damages to some students’ apartments, according to previous reporting by The Daily Texan.

The “Orange and Maroon: Texas Tough” donation campaign will last through March 10 and was started by UT Student Government President Anagha Kikkeri and Texas A&M Student Body President Eric Mendoza.

“We wanted to mobilize our communities and capitalize on the fact that we do have such a fun little rivalry, and we thought that could get people motivated to help students who literally need to pay food bills (and) electricity bills after that horrible storm,” Kikkeri, a government senior, said.

People can donate to UT students through the HornRaiser website. As of Feb. 28, UT has raised $6,162, while A&M has raised $9,556, according to its Spirit of Giving website. The university that raises the most money will be announced at the UT vs. A&M baseball game on March 30.

Sara Kennedy, director of strategic and executive communications for the Office of the Dean of Students, said the donations will go to the Student Emergency Fund run by Student Emergency Services. Kennedy said $16,250 was distributed to students during the week of the storm.

Kennedy said some requests may require documentation, but it varies case by case.

“(Student Emergency Services is) not trying to make it hard for students … they’re not trying to make students jump through hoops to get support,” Kennedy said.

Mendoza, an economics senior at Texas A&M, said the funds are there to help students at both institutions with any basic necessities they need due to storm related aftermath.

“Students are asked to snap back and return to normal in terms of what they’re here to do, which is to study and be academically focused,” Mendoza said. “But if you’re one of the students that have been impacted financially, it’s a little bit more difficult.”

Kikkeri said she and Mendoza recognized that the storm was another intense and life-altering event students have had to live through since the COVID-19 pandemic upended life last March.

“As students, we’ve gone through so much this year … and everyone has shown such resiliency,” Kikkeri said. “When the winter storm happened, it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, this one bad thing happened.’ It’s like the third, fourth or fifth thing that’s been thrown our way.”

Students who have struggled with losing food, paying electric bills or any other financial hardships caused by the historic winter weather can request aid through Student Emergency Services here. Students who receive aid through the Student Emergency Fund do not have to pay it back.