College Republican chapters statewide — including the University of Colorado’s club — are stopping all fundraising efforts for at least three weeks, asking donors instead to give money to Hurricane Gustav relief efforts.

“We are definitely more concerned about the developing situation in the Gulf Coast than we are about our own financial health,” said Erica Castelo, chairwoman of the Colorado Federation of College Republicans. “In the coming weeks, we hope to be able to do even more to help our friends in Mississippi and the rest of the Gulf Coast region.”

The Colorado Federation of College Republicans is an umbrella organization for the state’s GOP chapters, including the one on CU’s Boulder campus. It issued a directive to its member organizations over the weekend to cease fundraising efforts. The federation also removed a “donate” link from its Web site, and instead is directing visitors to the National Disaster Relief Fund overseen by the American Red Cross.

A weakened Hurricane Gustav hit the heart of Louisiana’s fishing and oil industry with 110 mph winds Monday, and, in Mississippi, officials said a 15-foot storm surge flooded homes. Nearly 2 million people fled the coast, many of them under a mandatory evacuation order issued by the mayor of New Orleans.

In the past year, the Colorado College Republicans have forged an alliance with the Mississippi Republican Party, and many of their members are from the Gulf states.

In November, the Colorado Federation of College Republicans sent volunteers from all over Colorado to Mississippi to work with the Republican Party to get Gov. Haley Barbour re-elected.

“They are our brothers, and they need our help,” said Justin Yarusso, treasurer of the federation and former chairman of the CU College Republicans.

Jesse Jensen, president of the College Democrats at CU, said that group does little fundraising. The group has a scheduled meeting Tuesday and likely will discuss ways to become involved with hurricane relief.

“One of our biggest priorities is trying to give back to the community,” Jensen said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.