TCU’s annual campuswide community service project has been postponed until the spring semester because of Hurricane Rita, organizers said Monday. Forecasters predicted Rita would bring severe and dangerous weather to Fort Worth on Saturday, when the event was originally scheduled.

“We were concerned for the safety of the whole student body and campus,” said Kelly O’Fallon, director of Leaders Encouraging All People to Serve, also known as LEAPS.

E-mails were sent to the more than 1,000 students registered for LEAPS to notify them of the cancellation, she said.

“It was really disappointing; people were sorry it didn’t happen,” said O’Fallon, a senior fashion merchandising major.

Matt Larkins, a freshman international relations major, said he was disappointed about the cancellation because of the impact LEAPS has on the community.

“So many projects could have been finished in that day – even before the bad weather was supposed to come,” said Larkins, who registered with his fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon.

No date has been set for LEAPS but it will probably be sometime in late March or early April, O’Fallon said.

Individuals and groups will most likely have to register again, though many details are still being worked out, she said.

“People are interested in when LEAPS will be,” O’Fallon said. “I really hope we have the same turnout in the spring.”

A Hurricane Katrina relief fundraiser, which was originally planned to take place after LEAPS, will be rescheduled for next month, said Austin Uebele, director of Frogs for a Cause.

Uebele, a sophomore premajor, said the fundraiser may involve a silent auction.

“I am looking for ways to get more people involved since there won’t be such a large influx of people coming straight to this event from LEAPS,” Uebele said.