St. Paul Student council members Leelah Smith, 5th grade; Elijah Beranek, 5th grade; Natalie Bair, 6th grade; Naomi Weden, 6th grade; Elijah Dorshorst, 7th grade; Caleb Weden, 7th grade; Rebekah Massey, 8th grade; and Mikayla Smith, 8th grade, and advisors Sarah Kolling and Angela Georgius pose with local law enforcement on Nov. 26. (Metro Wire photo)

St. Paul students donate to support police fundraiser

By Brandi Makuski

STEVENS POINT — Students from St. Paul Lutheran Church and School presented local law enforcement with a $1,615 donation on Nov. 26 to support the Police Lights of Christmas program.

The initiative, which involves over 90 law enforcement agencies statewide, raises funds to provide gift cards and care packages for officers to distribute to those in need. The Portage County Sheriff’s Office, and police departments in Stevens Point and Plover, which have participated in the program for six years, will use the funds to bring care packages and gift cards to the community.

The check presentation followed a fundraising effort organized by St. Paul’s nine-member student council, guided by Angela Georgius, a third-grade teacher and student council advisor, and fellow advisor Sarah Kolling, who teaches first grade.

Georgius said the council spearheaded the campaign, inviting families, friends, and church members to contribute.

“They wanted to do it again this year,” Georgius said. “It’s a great opportunity for them to reach out to the community and share our gifts with others.”

The funds contribute to a larger statewide effort, with officers volunteering at local restaurants to raise money for Police Lights of Christmas. Portage County officers worked events at Pizza Ranch in Plover in July and Culver’s in Stevens Point in October.

In the coming weeks, law enforcement agencies will gather in Green Bay to assemble care packages containing winter hats, gloves, socks, and toiletries. Portage County deputies will return with packages and gift cards donated by retailers like Walmart, Target, Culver’s, and Kwik Trip.

The gift cards will be distributed to residents in need, children in local schools, and even unsuspecting motorists during routine traffic stops, according to the program’s organizers.

Last year, St. Paul students raised $2,000 for the program. Despite falling short of that total this year, Georgius said the effort instills valuable skills in the students.

“It’s a great exercise in interpersonal communication,” Georgius said. “They have to reach out to their family members and the congregation, which helps them grow.”