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Oxon Hill High School Principal Jean-Paul Cadet was traumatized after learning two of his cousins had perished in the massive earthquake that struck Haiti.

"It's one of those things that was really emotional. I can't even watch the news — it's traumatizing," said Cadet, who father is Haitian. "I was concerned [about my family] because we were unable to communicate with them, and everything in the news was massive loss of life."

Cadet said he eventually was able to make contact with other aunts and cousins who were alive but lost their homes in the Jan. 12 earthquake.

By the day after the earthquake, Oxon Hill High rallied around its principal, as well as the residents of Haiti, when students launched a relief effort.

Within a 24-hour period, students and staff internally raised $3,000 to give to the American Red Cross, a number that has since grown to more than $6,000, including 25 percent of ticket proceeds from a Friday night basketball game.

Oxon Hill High School senior Jazmin Blake, 17, began contacting classmates and teachers via Facebook and Twitter to drum up support for a relief effort at the school.

"I just felt like this is our chance to do something, and I know that Dr. Cadet is Haitian so I wanted to support our principal," said Blake of Fort Washington, who is vice president of her class.

By Friday, 500,000 items of clothing had been collected in the school's offices and classrooms, and boxes of canned food and water continued to pour in. About 20 students helped box the items that were shipped to the Haitian Embassy in Washington, D.C., over the weekend. Cadet said Wednesday the embassy is now only asking for cash donations.

"This is just a phenomenal display of social action," Cadet said.

To donate to the school's relief efforts, call 301-749-4300.

E-mail Joshua Garner at jgarner@gazette.net.