Evanston firefighter Greg Klaiber was ready to go to New York after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but the New York Fire Department didn’t need him.

So Klaiber decided to contribute at home by joining fellow Evanston fire department members last week in a fund-raiser boot drive that filled their boots with more than $50,000 to benefit the families of those New York firefighters who died in the rescue effort.

Klaiber, who also is an Evanston/Skokie School District 65 board member, said his first thought was how much he wanted to help by going to New York.

“We don’t often talk about the ultimate sacrifice, but when you see it, you want to do something,” Klaiber said. “This was the least we could do.”

D65 students and officials also did their part to help, collecting about $10,000 in one week for the American Red Cross disaster relief fund.

“We asked every school and administrator to donate,” district spokeswoman Michelle Parke said. “Teachers had jars in their classrooms and kids would bring in change, or mom and dad would write a check.”

Individual schools each handled the disaster relief in their own way.

While Willard Elementary School students posted a “Wishes for Our World” poster, students at Washington Elementary collected more than 400 pairs of socks for rescue workers and Timber Ridge Elementary students held a read-a-thon. Students also wrote to firefighters in New York and Washington, D.C., Parke said.

“It helps our kids to get a better understanding of what’s happening when they’re able to help out,” she said. “It makes them feel involved and that they’re doing something to help.”

Department Chief John Wilkinson said he was excited about the community’s involvement in the effort to help victims of the Sept. 11 catastrophe.

Residents driving past the firefighters who were collecting money pulled over to thank them and write checks, he said.

“We weren’t surprised about the money,” Wilkinson said at the City Council meeting Monday night.

“The surprise came from the response of the people, their attention and comments as they gave money.”

“A lot of people said they love us and that kind of thing,” Wilkinson added. “It was a warming experience for all of us.”

Klaiber agreed that Evanston citizens were inspiring in their effort to help.

“Nobody believed we could raise that money in that amount of time,” he said.

Klaiber said New York rescue workers might need help during upcoming months for disaster relief.

“I want to help,” he said. “I’ll go. The offer still stands.”

For more information about the fire department’s relief efforts, visit www.firedonations.com or www.disasterrelief.org.