OGDEN — Students from across the Top of Utah are feeling the Christmas cheer this year. Students are giving more than ever to fundraising efforts in their local schools and the organizers of the events are loving every minute of it.
Betsy Galbraith, instructional coach and Mount Ogden Junior High School teacher, is very excited.
“I don’t know what it is about this year but it is huge,” she said. So far between business donations, students and alumni of the school, they have raised $10,878 that will go back to students and their families in need this year.
Galbraith and students set a goal to help at least 26 students, the number chosen to honor the students and school personnel killed in last week’s shooting in Newtown, Conn. “We will be able to help more,” she said.
At Fremont High School, Tori Pollard, student government adviser, said her students have raised close to $18,000, with a goal of $20,000. Their program, called Kash4Kids, has been ongoing throughout the school year. The student government officers hold “Miracle Minutes” where students collect as much money as possible during that minute. The last Miracle Minute yielded $1,700 from students.
The money helps students from the school and their families during Christmas time. Some of the money is held in an account and used throughout the year to help families pay medical bills, mortgage payments or utilities if the need arises.
This year some Ogden High School students also participated because they were able to see the impact the program made when they attended Mount Ogden, Galbraith said.
Other schools are also involved in fundraising efforts.
In Weber School District:
• Country View Elementary: Held a Fleece and Food fundraiser. Fleece blankets were donated and given to the Christmas Box house and donated food was delivered the food bank.
• Riverdale Elementary: Collected money and canned food for Sub for Santa.
• Uintah Elementary: Students donated approximately 300 pair of pajamas to the Christmas Box house.
• West Haven Elementary held a canned food drive.
• Bates Elementary: Student council did a community care and share drive. They collected gently used items such as books, toys, clothing, etc. along with Majestic Elementary, Orion Junior High, North Ogden Junior. High, and North Ogden Elementary.
• Lomond View Elementary: Raised money to help a teacher who has had multiple surgeries. Some donations will also go to help families with coats and shoes.
• Marlon Hills Elmentary: Will be building a playground for an orphanage in Africa. They also collected food for the Utah food bank.
• H Guy Child Elementary: Held a canned food drive.
• Orion Junior High: Students donated 6,238 pounds of food and rasied about $2,500 in Sub for Santa.
• Sandridge Junior High: Held a Quarter and Cans drive. Students collected approximately $3,000 and 2,400 cans.
• South Junior High: Held a Sub for Santa program and student government officers took families shopping with the donated money.
• Wahlquist Junior High: Conducted a canned food drive in November and raised about $3,000 for Sub for Santa. The National Junior Honor Society provided cake and visits to the George E. Wahlen Ogden Veterans Home on Veterans Day.
• Bonneville HIgh School: Student government held a Sub for Santa fundraiser. The proceeds go to the Weber County Sheriff’s Shop with a Cop/Hero program.
• Weber High School: Held several activities involving Quarters and Cans and an Angel Tree, including a dodgeball tournament, a wrestling championship and various other activities.
In Ogden School District:
• Wasatch Elementary: Students held a food drive in conjunction with the PTA. Students also sang at the Wasatch Care Center.
In Davis School District:
• Burton Elementary: The student council sponsors a change jar in each classroom for a student who has a wide range of medical issues and is fully dependent on others. The money raised will go to the purchase of a vehicle lift.
• Cook Elementary: Warm the Souls consists of students bringing change from home to donate and Rivalry Food Drive requests students to bring a boxed or canned food item labeled with their favorite local university.
• Centerville Elementary: Two classrooms donated gifts and personal items for four families in Salt Lake City.
• Windridge Elementary: Student council sent thank-you letters to military personnel in November.
• Mountain View Elementary: Grades 3-6 conducted a Sub For Santa for a local family in need.
• Whitesides Elementary: The CARES Extended School Day program (before- and after- school program) collected frozen turkeys to donate to the Family Connection Center in Davis County.
• Stewart Elementary: Students donated change, lightly used clothes and toys as well as looming hats at recess. All was donated to the Frodsham Farms Christmas event.
• Sunset Junior High: Students are making quilts for the Burn Unit at the University of Utah Hospital, foam bookmarks for Primary Children’s Hospital and fleece blankets for St. Anne’s homeless shelter.
• West Point Junior High: Computers in Business class is designing, producing and selling T-shirts to raise money for the school’s Sub For Santa fundraiser.
• Central Davis Junior High: Students participated in a long-running Sub For Santa drive. The school raised $3,090 to go along with another $2,000 the honor society earned earlier. With the money raised they were able to help 41 children in need, including some of their own.
• North Davis Junior High: Raising money to support two students at North Davis who are undergoing treatment for leukemia.
• Mueller Park Junior High: Parents and students donated needed items and gifts for families that utilize the Ronald McDonald House during extended hospital stays of a family member.
• Syracuse High School: Key Club members volunteered at Wasatch Elementary, a Title 1 school and served Christmas dinner.
• Viewmont High School: Students raise money for Salt Lake’s Guadalupe School and has helped to provide a Christmas and other essential items for these kids and their families.
• Syracuse High School: The Latinos in Action class conducted a Sub For Santa fundraiser for a low-income family.
• Bountiful High School: Interact Club collected food donations from participating schools and delivered them to the Bountiful Community Food Pantry. Students also sorted the food at the pantry.
• Clearfield High School: Students raised money for the Falcons are Fabulous charity drive. The money goes to support the Wounded Warrior Project-Utah Chapter.
• Davis High School: Collected and donated more than 10,000 cans of food. The school also held a Sub For Santa event.
• Renaissance Academy: Students go to St. Anne’s Homeless Shelter twice a month for three hours to help serve lunch and sort clothing. Students have also gone to Apple Tree Assisted Living Center in Kaysville twice a month to play bingo with the residents of the center.
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