Hamilton Middle and High School Holiday Donation Roundup

SUSSEX -- Hamilton School District students, staff and families showed appreciation for the needs of others during the holidays by contributing to charitable organizations and extending acts of kindness within the community and beyond. Following is a summary of activities at each school.

Templeton Middle School
Templeton employees donated money to be able to wear jeans to school Dec.16. A total of $153 was raised for the Sussex Food Pantry.

Student Council collected pajamas for the Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive through Scholastic Reading Program. Scholastic will pair the 141 pairs of pajamas collected with a book to give to children in need.

Hamilton High School
Spanish Club adopted two Hispanic families with six children total through the Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County. Students in all Spanish classes donated money to purchase gifts for the families including winter jackets, clothing, toys, books and gift cards. Spanish Club members wrapped the gifts and the officers delivered them to the families.

Hamilton Cantabile and Concert Choirs spread cheer by caroling at the Best Buddies Holiday Cookie Party, the Power Test Company tree-lighting ceremony, Milwaukee’s Third Ward tree- lighting ceremony and Hamilton Education Foundation Charger Challenge: Holiday Edition. German Club St. Martin’s Day Clothing Drive: To help people who are less fortunate and in the spirit of the German St. Martin’s Day tradition, the Hamilton German Club collected 275 articles of clothing, jackets and shoes. Items were donated to Red Door Clothes to be distributed to Waukesha families in need.

German Club also hosted a clubwide coin drive. A total of $350 was collected and used to sponsor five children through Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County. German Club members shopped, wrapped and delivered gifts to the families. Gifts included snow pants, gloves, hats, socks, clothes and toys.

Club Action raised funds at its annual Rock Fest held at Sussex Bowl to benefit a Templeton Middle School teacher battling cancer and Kiva.org which connects people in poverty with charitable lenders to sustain small business ventures. Students also visited Growing Power and, in doing so, helped support its mission. Club Action continued its school supply collection to benefit Hope Center of Waukesha. Club members also sold apple cider at Charger Challenge with all proceeds going to the event’s toy drive which benefited SOS.

Hamilton School Student Council adopted two children through the Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County. Student Council members joined together to shop and wrap the gifts. Student Council also completed a Spirit of Giving initiative in the school and the community. Students from all four grade levels were randomly selected to receive a $10 gift card and members distributed holiday cards that contained a gift card to members of the community.

Hamilton DECA members shopped for holiday presents for the first grade class at Gaenslen Elementary School in Milwaukee. First-graders at Gaenslen completed "All About Me" forms and Hamilton DECA members provided gift bags with at least one nice toy and other inexpensive gifts to these students. Gaenslen Elementary is located in a Milwaukee neighborhood that has one of the lowest household incomes in the state. Several of the first grade students are homeless. In addition to delivering presents, Hamilton DECA took cookies and juice. Hamilton students spent the afternoon of December 14 reading books, putting together new toys and playing with the children for whom they shopped. This has become an annual event for Hamilton DECA and is always a heart-warming experience for the students who participate. The advisor and 33 students made the trip.

National Honor Society (NHS) held a community blood drive serving the Blood Center of Wisconsin. More 90 people donated -- enough to save 268 lives. Members also hosted food drives to benefit SOS the week before Thanksgiving, producing more than 3,000 pounds of food and $2,079 in donations. NHS sponsored two families and six children through the Christmas Clearing Council of Waukesha County and donated 58 gifts collectively. NHS members assisted at the YMCA Breakfast with Santa and Hamilton Education Foundation Charger Challenge: Holiday Edition.

Charger Robotics Team 537 holds monthly drives for nonperishable food and personal care items to support SOS. This fall the team helped SOS move into its new facility at the Sussex Civic Center.

Offices A, B, C, and Publications – High school staff members adopted one family providing them with many items to brighten their holidays including wrapped gifts of toys, games, clothing, personal items, household goods and gift cards.

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