NEW BERLIN – Unadilla Valley Central School District students and staff – joined by the community at large – have spent the weeks since Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc along the east coast collecting what school officials are calling an “incredible” number of donations for victims of October’s super storm.

The donations, which included cleaning supplies, dog and cat food, white vinegar, baby items, pens, pencils, colored pencils, notebooks, folders, backpacks, food, paper towels, shovels and more, were delivered last week to the Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High School in Staten Island, according to the administration.

Unadilla Valley Elementary School counselor Sheri Houck, who’s led the initiative, said the response to the district’s request for donations has been “pretty incredible.”

The effort, she added, also falls in line with the elementary school’s character education theme this year of “filling buckets,” the idea being that – when people are feeling sad – their “buckets” aren’t as full, so others should help fill their buckets by doing and saying nice things to cheer them up.

In the case of Hurricane Sandy, however, those buckets are much further away ... and quite empty, said Houck.