SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – A group of alumni from Stevens High School in Rapid City are giving back by raising funds to ease lunch money debt. What started out as a way to give back to a school they once attended quickly grew into raising over $10,000.

“I ran the idea by a couple friends, they thought it was a good idea. So we threw it out on Facebook and said, ‘Would anybody be interested in doing this?’ And the answer was a resounding yes,” said Tove Hoff Bormes, an alumna from Stevens High School.

It came to life because Bormes is passionate about ending food insecurity.

“I’ve talked to the nutrition people and they were thrilled. I figured once we have it all collected and it’s completed then we’ll send something to Stevens to let them know what we did,” said Bormes.

One of her classmates even said she would match whatever the group raised.

“I’m a fundraiser by profession and when somebody says the word ‘match,’ it makes my heart pretty happy,” said Bormes.

Her idea received attention from other classes that reached out to her wanting to do the same thing for their school.

“What an amazing thing. So it looks like there will be one in North Dakota, one in Phoenix, and one in Des Moines that are going to try to do something like this,” said Bormes.

She says the issue of food insecurity isn’t isolated.

“This is not a South Dakota problem. This is a national problem. Sometimes you light a little flame and start a fire,” said Bormes.

The group plans to donate all the money they collect next month.

The Rapid City school district has nearly 14,000 students across 24 schools. South Dakota has over $6 million dollars in school meal debt according to Education Data Initiative.