ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP - One child likened the damage of Hurricane Katrina to the story of the "Three Little Pigs."

"Mommy, it was like the big bad wolf, you know in 'The Three Little Pigs,' now they have no house," 4-year-old Camryn Zornes explained to her mother, Kim Zornes, why she wanted to give her pennies to help Hurricane Katrina victims.

"The wind came and blew down their houses and the water washed them away."

Camryn and other youth at the Rock Hill Child Development Center Friday turned over $1,315 to the American Red Cross to help with disaster services. The children and the staff were inspired to help by watching the news coverage of the hurricane aftermath on television.

RHCDC Director Johnna Lunsford said the "Pennies for People" started Tuesday and turned into a competition between classes as to what class would bring in the most money.

"They really put a lot of effort into it," Lunsford said. "I'm so proud of them. They really wanted to help."

Children solicited money from their own families and some even went door to door in their neighborhoods, asking friends to pitch in. Pre-schooler Autumn Porter collected $293 to give to Katrina relief.

Her mother, Cassie Jackson, said she is both surprised and proud at her child's willingness to help others at such a young age.

"I told her what was going on and let her watch TV and she said she wanted to help," Jackson said. "I'm proud of her, me and her daddy both are."

Asked what she did to collect all that money, Autumn Porter said simply "I got some money and I put it into rolls. And I put dollars with it."

Development center staffers got in on the action with a bake sale last week. Proceeds from the bake sale also went to the hurricane relief effort.

Office secretary Carrie Jenkins and high school helpers counted all the money for the children.