Elgin Academy students to buy holiday gifts for local foster children

Elgin Academy students and their families are sponsoring 80 local foster children whom they will shower with gifts this holiday season.

The entire school - students from kindergarten through 12th grade - is participating in Project Angel Tree sponsored by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

A group of 17 fourth-graders raised $525 through a recent bake sale on campus. The students will go shopping with the money they raised next Thursday at Target purchasing a variety of gifts, including clothes, hats and gloves, coats, books and educational toys for eight foster children, said Donna Bolz, fourth grade teacher.

Bolz's fourth-graders have a long-standing tradition of supporting this project over the past 12 years.

"It was really fun to support children in need," said Noah Heinz, 9, of Wheaton. "What I think the children need most is new clothes. We will go through the needs, and then we'll go to the wants like toys and books."

Bolz said hers was the only classroom to conduct a fundraiser. The rest of the students and their families pick a child to support from a list of foster children provided by DCFS.

"It makes me feel good," said Maggie Ingente, 9, of Elgin. "We are super excited about shopping for little angels."