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Draper Students Give to Community, World

Jan 04, 2016 02:29PM ● By Julie Slama

By Julie Slama

Draper - Helping to give others a better, warmer holiday season was the hopes of many Draper students. Here are some of the ways students helped others in the community.

At Willow Springs, students collected hats, gloves, scarves and mittens that they donated to students at East Midvale and Midvale elementary, two Title I schools in Canyons School District.

“We can help other children in our district be warm this winter,” said Principal Marianne Yule, who said last year, the first year of the annual project, they collected 400 items. “The students are learning that even a simple donation, like a hat, can really help someone else.”

At Summit Academy, students collected pillows, towels, coats, clothing, diapers and baby items and more to their 7th annual “Fill the Trees.” Items collected will benefit the Road Home homeless shelter and the Christmas Box House, said teacher and student council advisor Aimee Rohling, who added that last year, students donated more than 1,000 items.

“The Christmas Box house helps youth who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected,” Rohling said. “We want to help other kids who are in need. The Road Home helps thousands of homeless Utahns. When kids are in need of medical help in Utah, Primary Children’s Medical Center takes care of them. We have had past students receive care there and we know they do a tremendous amount of good in the state. In turn, we want to support them.”

Summit Junior High also donated their fourth tree to Festival of Trees, which benefits Primary Children’s Medical Center. 

“We hope students get in the habit of reaching out and helping others. There are always ways we can be of service to people in our communities,” Rohling said.

Also at Summit, sixth-grader Sadie Berger helped her church deliver some blankets and clothes to recently settled refugees in the area. After her visit, Sadie realized few had shoes, so she organized a community shoe drive and delivered them this holiday season.

Juan Diego Catholic High School students kicked off the holiday season by providing more than 100 turkeys at Thanksgiving for emergency food pantries, then they collected more than 500 pairs of jeans to donate for homeless teens.

Through their annual Gift of the Drummer program, they plan to provide items for Christmas to benefit 60 families who could use a hand this holiday season. They plan to continue providing service to the community when the holiday lights are all down, said Director of Advancement Molly Dumas.

At Corner Canyon High School, studentbody officer Hadlee Selman rallied classmates to help raise $50,000 for children with cancer through a foundation named after a friend.

Through performing odd jobs in the neighborhood in return for donations, students hoped to benefit Millie’s Princess Foundation, which is helping a child with cancer associated with one of Corner Canyon’s students.

Hadlee’s sister, Lexe, was diagnosed with Acute Myleoid Luekemia when she was a high school senior, about five years ago. While Lexe was a patient at Primary Children’s Medical Center, Millie also was a patient, and they became friends. Lexe recovered and is now 22 and healthy, but Millie died and her parents started the Millie’ Princess Foundation in her name.

“We hope students will learn to share their good fortune with those in need,” Principal Mary Bailey said. “We want our students to reach out to share their talents, their time and their love.”