Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Monday, November 29, 2010

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Kids at LTMS collected stuffed animals, toy cars, plastic ponies and dolls for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“Giving Back” has become a part of life at Lexington Traditional Magnet School, where students are recognizing the value of selfless service as they share of themselves and their abundance.

“I like giving back to the community because I realize how much I have,” said seventh-grader Jasmine Webb, a member of the spirit team.

This group – made up of the hip hop, dance, flag and step teams – recently spearheaded a toy drive for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which provides for children with life-threatening medical conditions. The week before Thanksgiving, the students boxed up dozens of stuffed animals, Barbie dolls, puzzles, books and plastic ponies.

“The kids who’ll get these toys will really appreciate it – even a tiny baby doll,” Jasmine said. “They’ll smile at the simplest things.”

At LTMS, the idea behind “Giving Back” is that each club, activity group and sports team partner with an organization for a good cause.

For instance, the cross-country team raised funds for the Susan B. Komen for the Cure during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the student council has sent care packages and letters to U.S. service members stationed abroad. In another project, cheerleaders organized a carwash to benefit the Shriners Hospital for Children, and Beta Club members participated in a fundraising walk for Alzheimer’s research.

“It’s important for them to see other things outside their norm. It teaches them to feel empathy for other people,” said reading teacher Belinda Jackson, an adviser for the spirit team. “I had a kid say to me, ‘I actually can think of someone else besides myself.’”

The generous spirit has been evident within the school as well, with volleyball players and parents raking leaves and pulling weeds on campus this fall. And during the holidays, the staff will sponsor an angel tree to buy gifts for some of their own students.

The LTMS students realize that whatever their situation, there are always people somewhere in much more dire straits, such as in Haiti.

“You have to stop and think about what you have and what these kids don’t have,” said eighth-grader Danisha Hamilton. “Our need is a ‘want.’ Their need is a real need.”