Austin High School members of the National Honor Society partnered with a local Aid Association for Lutherans chapter to make the world a "kinder and gentler" place this holiday season.

Thursday, December 23, 1999

Austin High School members of the National Honor Society partnered with a local Aid Association for Lutherans chapter to make the world a "kinder and gentler" place this holiday season.

Using a $500 donation from AAL Branch No. 7088, they raised $1,000.

The money allowed the AHS students to fill 23 stockings with gifts at Target’s Stocking Tree project for the Salvation Army Austin Corps this holiday season. Twenty NHS members went Christmas gift shopping, not for themselves or family and fiends, but for complete strangers.

In addition, the students were able to present a fistful of gift certificates to the Salvation Army.

"It was a special opportunity for us to show the Christmas spirit," said Meredith Eilertson, president of the NHS chapter.

The AHS students, faculty and support staff were invited to share in a competition that would help boost the monetary contributions. Five jugs were displayed earlier this month to collect donations.

On Wednesday, the winner of the competition was announced at an all-student assembly in Knowlton Auditorium.

The AHS senior class won and Brian Strom got to shove a pie in the face of Lia Middlebrook in front of their student peers on stage at the preholiday event.

But the innovative NHS students had another fund-raising idea that proved to be successful.

The students performed as bell ringers for the Salvation Army and beckoned fans at recent AHS sports events to fill the kettles and donate to the organization.

"We wanted to do a project that would help the community," Reese said.

Rhonda Anderson, coordinator for AAL Branch No. 7088, said the students did a "great job."

"AAL has a Youth Serve Grant program and we were able to give the Austin High National Honor Society chapter a donation of $500," Anderson said. "They were challenged to help, through volunteering to assist the needy at Christmastime."

"There also was the added benefit of fellowship they enjoyed in working together and they did a great job in showing the community their feelings about others," Anderson said.

AAL Branch No. 7088 is sponsored by St. Olaf Lutheran Church.

Connie Boes and Barbara Judd are co-advisers for the NHS chapter at AHS.

"I think the students really enjoyed doing what they did," Judd said. "I think they had fun shopping at Target, bell ringing and conducting the fund drive in the school."

"Even without the AAL grant, they raised a lot of money in a short time," she said. "I’m very proud of them."

The NHS chapter president, Meredith Eilertson, joined other officers, including Megan Reese, secretary, Amanda Seibel, vice president, and Amber Dolphin, treasurer, and their adviser presented the left-over monies, in the form of gift certificates, to the Salvation Army as their last official act as students Wednesday before departing for their holiday vacation.

Capt. Douglas Yeck, officer in charge, visited AHS Wednesday and expressed his appreciation to the youths.

"We appreciate the generosity of all who participated at Austin High," Yeck said.

Also this holiday season, the AHS Student Council conducted a food drive for the Salvation Army Austin Corps emergency food pantry.