Students help those in need
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ST. IGNATIUS – Into the woods the Dogs With Wings went to collect limbs from trees in an effort to help those in need on Thursday, Dec. 3., and they need community support to finish their project.
The group is a school-sponsored club from the Mission Middle School that buys gifts for children and military troops during the holiday season. In order to buy those gifts, they developed a project to raise money that includes cutting tree branches and turning them into wreaths.
“I like helping people and seeing everyone work,” said Aidyn Rosenbaum, 13, after he cut a few branches in the Jocko Prairie forest.
This year’s club members went into the woods to cut Douglas fir and cedar tree boughs to make those wreaths. The students had to cut the branches off the trees and put them into bags so they could be transported back to town.
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Forestry members were on hand to help, including George Orr and Ron Orr along with Monty Marengo. They cut down a couple trees so the students could use their clippers to cut off the branches. They also helped load those branches onto the school bus that the students rode to the forest in, and they built a campfire so the kids could cook their hot dog lunches.
With the branches stored at school, the students are volunteering their time this week to wrap wire around the branches and shape them into wreaths. An experienced florist donated instructions and designs for making the wreaths.
Twelve years ago teacher Valerie Umphrey decided that making something to sell and donating the profits was a good way to teach the students various skills about developing a small business that included budgeting money, time management and labor delegation. They also learn about giving.
“Every year the eighth graders step up and tell the younger kids that this is about helping kids,” Umphrey said. “The (students) learn to do things without reward. They never see the kids’ faces when they get the gifts or hear a thank you, but every year, they really enjoy doing this.”
Once the students raise enough money from wreath sells, they will buy the gifts for the children with the names of those children coming from the Giving Tree.
The large wreaths are almost a yard across in length with various smaller sizes available. And, they last a long time. The club is also selling swags. The students are taking wreath and swag orders at the school. Contact the students by calling 406-745-3811, ext. 251.
(Editor’s note: Beau Peterson is one of the Dogs With Wings. He wrote this story with help from Valley Journal reporter Karen Peterson.)
