The second grade classes at Adairville School decided to do something a little unconventional for Christmas. Instead of the usual boy/girl gift exchange that students traditionally participate in on the last day before winter break, the children decided to help dogs and cats in need.

When presented with the idea of not buying gifts for themselves, but bringing in donations for the dogs and cats at the Logan County Humane Society, students were extremely excited! They were eager to help out the local homeless animals this holiday season.

The classes discussed the Humane Society and what types of items they need in order to properly care for the animals on a daily basis. Students were given about two weeks to bring in their donations.

By Wednesday, Dec. 16^, the second grade classrooms were flooded with bags of dog food, cat food, food bowls, towels, blankets, cat litter, bleach, treats, and toys. The amount of student participation was overwhelming. When sorting through the items on Wednesday, students were beaming with pride for themselves.

Adairville Assistant Principal Ben Bruni came to our rooms to look at all of the donations on Wednesday morning. Blake Dickman, one of the students, informed him, “We brought in presents for the animals, not presents for ourselves.”

That afternoon, representatives from the Humane Society came to the school to collect the donations. They brought Daisy, a resident of the shelter who is looking for her forever home, and IJ, the spay and neuter pug. They spoke to students about how to approach an unknown dog and about the importance of spaying and neutering their pets. Students had a great time loving on the furry visitors!

At the end of the visit, students helped load all of the donations into the Humane Society’s van. The joy and pride on their faces as they carried all of the donations down the hallway and out the front doors of the school was unmistakable.

Helping those less fortunate is a lesson these children learned and took to heart this Christmas.