It’s a busy time of the year for Santa Claus, so he called for some help from students at Brownstown Central Middle School.

The Brownstown Central Middle School Tribal Council, a leadership and government group of the school, traveled to the Salem Walmart Supercenter to purchase toys, clothing and other essentials for children in need, who live in the Brownstown school district.

Funds to purchase the items have been raised through the group’s efforts.

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“Over the past month or so the students have been raising money from different events and activities,” advisor Alicia McCrary said.

The students raised $4,800 through activities such as selling tickets to a dance, finding sponsors, selling snacks and other activities. Those funds were used to purchase gifts for 60 children, Principal Doug McClure said.

Brownstown Christmas Cheer was reorganized in 1946 after being inactive during World War II. The purpose was to see that the spirit of Christmas is brought to all homes in the Brownstown area.

Students were given many opportunities to donate for things such as device days, which allowed the students to use Chromebooks or cellphones during 35-minute tribe times at the school.

Another option for the student was students being allowed to work at the concession stand at several of the school’s home basketball games.

“I sold snacks and tickets to our dance to help raise the money,” said eighth grader Camryn Thompson, who is a member of the council.

Together with McCrary, and teacher Marty Young, the 31 members of the Tribal Council split into groups and walk through the store to find items to purchase as gifts.

Each group was given a card containing information about the children they were shopping for and the amount they could spend.

The effort gives the students a sense of giving back to the community and serving a larger cause than simply through their leadership at the school, McCrary said.

“I think it’s important to help them learn about donating to something bigger than themselves,” she said, adding students are excited to shop for others.

“They discuss stuff. ‘Would he like this?’ ‘Would she like that?’ They try to put themselves in these other kids’ shoes,” she said.

McCrary said she believes students have taken the message of the activity to heart. That was true for Thompson as she shopped and thought about the effort it took to bring Christmas to those in need.

“I feel like it’s worth all the time and money,” she said while at the store.

Classmate Jackson Hartley agreed and said the activity gives him a sense of pride and community. It also helps build the community.

“I always feel real proud of our school and getting to help people make it better,” he said.

Members of Brownstown Christmas Cheer initiative selected the children, along with their siblings, who would receive gifts from the effort.

Some of the students said there were difficulties selecting gifts for young children and toddlers, but that they enjoyed that challenge.

Lauren Perkinson, a seventh grader, had to shop for a three-year-old boy and his six-month-old sibling. She tied the effort to her own experience of a younger sibling.

“I don’t think that one will be too hard, I have a younger brother, but he has all sisters, so he played with different things than I think most normal brothers had,” she said.

Hartley had a different kind of predicament, one that made him think about what older kids may want for a gift.

“I got children in the age of 16 to 17 year old (age group),” he said. “It’s kind of hard to figure out what they would want when I’m not that age yet.”

The gifts will be given to the Christmas Cheer committee who will oversee the delivery to the families who need them this Christmas.

The items purchased by the Tribal Council will be added to the canned and nonperishable food collected by the Brownstown Elementary School recently.