South students are involved in five different ventures to help families in need, the March of Dimes and soldiers in Iraq.
By: Linda Seida
WEST AMWELL Students at South Hunterdon Regional High School are working hard with five separate events to make the holidays brighter for local families in need, the March of Dimes and the region’s soldiers serving in Iraq.
And come January when the season is over, their work will continue when they begin a separate collection of money and old cell phones to aid the March of Dimes, an organization dedicated to preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.
Most of the toy and clothing drives and other collections will begin Monday and continue through Dec. 20. The drive to collect items for packages to be sent to soldiers stationed overseas likely will end sooner because of the need for longer mail time to ensure the packages arrive in Iraq by Christmas, said Future Business Leaders of America advisor Joanne Bruno.
The Giving Tree, a joint effort by the FBLA and the Key Club, is in its second year. This year’s tree, donated by Jim and Jackie Sansone of Sansone’s Farm Market in Hopewell, will be erected in the school’s main office. The live tree will be decorated with gift tags on which have been written recipients’ needs or wishes. For example, a soldier serving in Iraq might ask for unscented deodorant or another personal care item while a local child might like a Teddy bear or need a pair of pajamas, Ms. Bruno said.
Students are invited to choose a tag, purchase the item written on it and return the item, unwrapped, to the school. Last year, members of the community participated, too, and this year organizers hope they’ll do so again.
"The more the merrier," Ms. Bruno said.
Last year, the Giving Tree supplied enough gifts to make about four deliveries to Fisherman’s Mark, a nonprofit social service organization. When the holidays are over, the tree will be planted in the school’s courtyard. Last year’s tree was planted outside the music room by the Future Farmers of America students.
Also going to Fisherman’s Mark will be a collection of clean, used coats in good condition, distributed through Project Bundle Up. Students have placed one collection box at the high school and another at Lambertville Public School. Warm coats in good condition are needed for all ages and sizes from infant to adults, Ms. Bruno said. Students hope to fill the large refrigerator-size boxes with cold-weather gear.
The FBLA’s annual toy drive also will go to Fisherman’s Mark. Toys are collected in addition to items requested on the Giving Tree tags because children receive only one "wish" from the tree. The toys will bring some extra cheer to their Christmas.
The FBLA also is holding a toy soldier sale. For $1, students can purchase a paper cutout of a toy soldier and write a message on it. The messages will be displayed outside room C-102, the FBLA headquarters.
"They can write ‘Merry Christmas’ or ‘I love Teddy’ or whatever they want to write," Ms. Bruno said. "It all goes to the March of Dimes for premature babies."
The students will be returning this year to the Hunterdon Development Center in Clinton. Although they won’t be dressing up as Santa or his elves as in years past, the heart of the program remains the same, to bring gifts and brighten someone’s holiday. They’ve adopted a resident of one of the center’s cottages.
For more information about any of the holiday programs, call South Hunterdon’s main office at 397-2060 or e-mail Ms. Bruno at [email protected].

