Tornado Relief for Joplin, Missouri from Mission Viejo

When the world watched a mile-wide tornado devastate Joplin, Missouri, causing an estimated $3 billion in damages and killing 157 people, many people were saddened.

One Mission Viejo resident resolved to do something about it.

Cathy Allen of the set up events across the city to raise money for the people of Joplin hit by that massive tornado.

Coming from the Midwest, Allen had been through a tornado herself--nothing like the one in Joplin though, she said.

"You have to rebuild and replant all the trees and stuff like that," she said. "If every city were to do something like this, they could rebuild in no time.”

So Allen contacted Mayor Dave Leckness and the other members of the MVAC to raise money.

MVAC was out during the , and during that event alone they raised $1,000. Throw in another $600 raised by the Mission Hills Church dunk tank and another $1,000 collected from online donations, and the group has raised a total of $2,666.67 so far.

If you didn't get a chance to drop off a check for the folks in Joplin this Independence Day, you still have a chance. You can either drop by the MVAC website or wait until .