Michael Tannebaum

Gregg Middle School seventh-graders Megan Illsley (left) and Taylor Perkins paint one of 10 boxes now located throughout the community for people to donate stuffed animals that will be given to children who are less fortunate for Christmas.

Last week, Gregg Middle School students with a few spare minutes poked their heads into one of the art classrooms to see if they could assist on a special project.

In art class and when they had time during lunch or between classes, a couple dozen sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders worked to decorate 10 large boxes, which now sit in daycare centers and other local businesses throughout the community.

The colorful boxes, which are covered with drawings of Christmas trees and teddy bears among other holiday-themed artwork, are being used to collect old stuffed animals. Stanley Steamer will clean and make any necessary repairs to the stuffed animals before passing them along to the Salvation Army, which will distribute them in Christmas packages to children across the Lowcountry who are less fortunate.

Seventh-grader Taylor Perkins said she was more than happy to be a part of the project.

“It feels really good to know that we can do something to help children who might not have as much as we do,” Perkins said. “We hope the boxes are eye-catching and that they will grab the attention of people who see them.”

The boxes will be on display until Dec. 9 at which point all the stuffed animals will be taken to Stanley Steamer so they can be refurbished in time for the holidays.

The projected originated when Gregg Middle art teacher Bill Cotton and his friend Matson Hard, marketing director for Stanley Steamer, decided they could work together to brighten the holidays for children in need.

“Being able to give back to the community is a huge part of our company’s integrity,” Hard said. “It’s fun for our staff to collect the stuffed animals and know that we’re able to do something to give back especially in these hard times.”

Cotton said he was impressed by the dedication and hard work his students put toward decorating the boxes.

“It’s really been a team effort with students coming in to help out whenever they can,” Cotton said. “They’ve really been supportive of this and realize the importance of what they’re doing.”

Eileen’s restaurant in Summerville donated a gift card to students in recognition of their efforts.

Stanley Steamer, located at 7890 Dorchester Road, Charleston, is one drop off location for the stuff animals. For a full list, call Stanley Steamer at (800) 783-3637.

Contact Michael Tannebaum at 873-9424 ext. 215 or mtannebaum@journalscene.com

Journalscene.com ® is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Journalscene.com ® does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not Journalscene.com ®. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.

Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by reading our terms and conditions, and then signing up below!

• Santee Cooper announces 2012 refunding bond sale
• Santee Cooper announces organizational changes in operation and finance departments
• Santee Cooper employees pitch in on Day of Caring
• Aerial herbicide treatment on lakes under way
• Santee Cooper Board Authorizes Rate Study
• Santee Cooper announces refunding bond sale
• Santee Cooper, Florida Municipal Power Agency enter into letter of intent for share of planned V.C. Summer Station units
• Santee Cooper, Duke Energy Carolinas enter into letter of intent for share of planned V.C. Summer Station units 2 and 3