It didn't take long for the D2 Football community to take notice when a devastating tornado struck Joplin, Mo., on May 22 of this year.

Not only was the tornado that would end up killing 160 people a huge national story, it hit in the hometown of Missouri Southern State University, a member of the Division II conference Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Within hours of the tornado making its way through the southern edge of the city, both the General Discussion and MIAA message boards on D2Football.com were lighting up with members expressing concern for the university and the community as a whole.

Though the university of about 6,000 students did not take a direct hit, the school certainly felt an impact.

One student and one faculty member were killed, but the long-term effects of the deadliest American tornado on record go much further than that for Missouri Southern.

That's why the staff at D2Football.com is proud to team up with the Missouri Southern Foundation in requesting donations for their Tornado Emergency Relief Fund.

According to numbers compiled by the university, 500 students lost their homes, 43 lost a family member and 162 lost a friend.

At least 118 students lost their places of employment.

More than 40 faculty and staff members had their homes destroyed, including four members of the football staff. Two more football staff members had their vehicles destroyed.

Because the university was not damaged by the tornado, it was able to be used to assist in the rescue and relief efforts afterward.

Athletic facilities were used as Red Cross emergency shelters and feeding sites, the Health Sciences Building became a medical triage center and the Student Center was used by the AmeriCorps to organize volunteers.

The D2 Football community was quick to think about the university. The university was quick to react and think about its surrounding community.

And now, we're asking the D2 Football community to step up and help a university that showed the true heart and spirit of Division II and the NCAA in one of the darkest times in American history.

By clicking on the link below, you'll be directed to the Missouri Southern Foundation donation page.

We ask that you click on the button that reads "The D2football.com site directed me here - and I want to donate to tornado relief" and make whatever donation you can. No amount is too big or too small.

By donating to the Tornado Emergency Relief Fund, you'll be helping the university fund grants set up for students, faculty and staff directly affected by the tornado.

The grants are made available for whatever needs the applicant might have. So far, applications have included needs ranging from the loss of homes, vehicles, income or medicine to loss of study-related materials like computers.

Click the link below to show the world how the D2 Football community sticks together and helps its own.