SCHULTZ STUDENTS WILL WEAR PAWS FOR TOYBOX

Students at Louis J. Schultz Middle School will have an opportunity to wear some Paws for a traditional holiday cause Dec. 13.

Money will be collected before school and during the lunch period for Toybox, a joint Christmas project conducted by the Cape Girardeau Jaycees and Southeast Missourian.

Those who donate money to Toybox will receive a Paw stamp on the hand or cheek.

Jaycees Santas and elves will collect new toys and distribute them Dec. 20. to needy children in Cape Girardeau.

"Our goal is to raise $300, but we'll probably exceed that this year," Schultz teacher Kathy Berkbigler, who is coordinating the Paws project, said. "We have approximately 340 students, so we'll probably get something like $350."

Berkbigler said the Paws project will emphasize the Missourian's contribution to the school's newspaper, the Paw. "Just one of the many things the Missourian does for us is to print our Paw newspaper free of charge," Berkbigler said. "To show our appreciation, we would like to once again support the Toybox project."

The student council at Schultz will organize a campaign to make their peers aware of the Toybox drive prior to Dec. 13. "They will make posters and remind everyone when the date for the collection is," Berkbigler said.

Teachers at Schultz Middle School will also get involved in the project. "The teachers will be donating money and trying to get parents involved," Berkbigler said. "Parents might want to send a check to help our drive."

This isn't the only project Schultz School participates in to help the needy in Cape Girardeau. The Beta Club organized a canned food drive for Thanksgiving. Canned goods collected during the drive were donated to the Salvation Army.

"We have several projects like this throughout the year," Berkbigler said. "Toybox is one of the bigger ones that we do."

New, unwrapped toys may be delivered to the Southeast Missourian, 301 Broadway, or to the following Toybox collection sites : West Park Mall, Boatmen's Bank, Capital Bank, Perry Travel Center, Gulliver's Travel Agency, AmeriFirst Bank, Commerce Bank, Roosevelt Bank and Mercantile Bank.

Gifts and contributions may be mailed to Toybox Trust, P.O. Box 4, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0004.