Some families don’t have the means to provide their children with toys for Christmas. That’s what one Coupeville Middle School student said motivated him to participate in helping gather toys for children in need.

As a part of Linda West’s middle school advocacy group, 6th grader Andrew Sadler explained why his advocacy group decided to earn money and buy gifts for the Toys for Tots organization this Christmas.

“I think the best part was buying toys for tots,” he said. “Because we should feel really lucky to have a family and parents that can get us things, and it’s sad that some kids don’t have these.”

Other kids in the 16 member advocacy group echoed these thoughts and added that the experience of giving to Toys for Tots was valuable and fun.

West’s middle school advocacy group is just one example of the many different groups and individuals that give to the Toys for Tots annual holiday toy drive.

West said her students decided as a group that they wanted to help Toys for Tots this year and figured out how to make that possible.

“They sold hot chocolate, in the morning, for a week,” she said.

With the help of parents who volunteered to bring the ingredients for gourmet Ghirardelli hot chocolate and toppings, West and her students were able to keep all their earnings for toy purchases. In all, the group raised $246 for Toys for Tots.

After the fundraiser, West alloted a portion of the earnings to each of the student so he or she could choose a gift during the group’s Toys for Tots field trip to Wal-Mart.

Staff Sgt. David Hawkins, who is in charge of the Marine participation in Toys for Tots on Whidbey Island, said he got a call from West saying her students wanted to give a donation of gifts to them.

“She told me the story that these kids’ goal was to sell hot chocolate,” he said. “For kids that young to raise money and give it away is some of the greatest — they’ve definitely put a smile on some kids’ faces.”

Hawkins said he knows what it is like to do without for Christmas because his father was unemployed for part of Hawkins’ childhood.

He said such generosity from children tugs at the heartstrings.

“You never know,” he said. “They could have helped out their next door neighbor or some kid on the south end, but they helped some kid out.”

Staff Sgt. Hawkins said, in his six year involvement with Toys for Tots, what West’s advocacy group did for the organization is the biggest thing he has seen a group of kids do for the Christmas toy-gathering effort.

“I’ve got to applaud you,” he said. “It is young kids like you that set the example for other young kids coming up. I thank you very much.”

Kellsie Thompson, 13, who has participated in West’s advocacy group for two years, said some of the pluses of an advocacy group are that these groups help students learn to get along, work toward a common goal and work on projects that benefit the community.

“Last year, we raised money to get clothes and toys for a family,” Thompson said.

This year went far better than they anticipated, and the students and West have decided to continue to work with Toys for Tots next year and hope that some of the other middle school advocacy groups will join them.

“Every child deserves a little Christmas,” Staff Sgt. Hawkins said, quoting the organization’s motto.