COAL GROVE — Christmas may be over but some area residents will have good memories of the holiday because of students from Dawson-Bryant High School.

Students from three school clubs collected $6,000 to purchase presents for children in their district. The Christian Youth Association, Key Club and Business Tech. Prep all participated in the Christmas Angel Project.

“I feel it is important for the students to do this because it gives them time to focus on others instead of themselves during the holidays,” Audra Deere, a business teacher, said.

“They learn that it is important to help those who may be less fortunate than themselves. We hear about giving back during the Christmas holiday, so we give them that opportunity to give to others.”

The students went shopping for the children’s wish lists on their own time during a snow day and wrapped them the next day.

Several of the students said that they enjoyed the project, Deere said.

Student Leslie Cade agreed that she had lots of fun with the project.

“I like going and buying gifts for kids that I do not know,” Cade said. “It is fun to take their wish and fulfill that.”

A total of 160 children from the Dawson-Bryant School District received presents.

Besides the presents, the kids also received shoes, coats and gloves, thanks to a grant from the United Way.

Several businesses and individuals from the community also participated in the project by taking names and buying presents for the children. Grandma’s Gifts donated vouchers for turkeys that were distributed to the families.

“Thanks to the generosity of our students and community, Christmas in our district was much brighter,” Deere said.

Deere said the school plans to continue the tradition of helping with this project.

“We have done this project for several years and plan to continue it in the future,” she said.