One of the fastest growing institutions in the area is Daymar College in New Boston, and a recent competition among the various classes has produced a lot of food items to help those in need this Christmas season.

“This is just giving back to the community,” Mike Bell, Daymar admissions representative, said. “Helping out the Salvation Army; just making sure that people have food on their tables for Christmas.”

Bell said the students at the school purchased the food and brought it in as a part of the first year of the event — one that administration hopes will be an annual occurrance.

Wednesday morning, students were on hand to help carry the food out to the truck, along with volunteers from the Salvation Army.

“Our total items collected are 3,715,” Student Services and Career Services Representative Theresa Rowland said. “Each program competed against one another. Our Criminal Justice won with 1,915 items. Medical Assisting was second with 1,053, Business Administration had 403, and our Medical Administrative Assisting turned in 344. It was a dog-eat-dog contest. It pitted the different career programs against one another to see who could donate the most items in a month, and they embraced it wholeheartedly.”

Bell said the project came down to one thing.

“All of the students here have had the opportunity to give back. It’s a Daymar thing,” Bell said.

“In every one of our 20 locations, Daymar gets involved in the community in different aspects, and this is one thing that we picked, to help out the Salvation Army to help change people’s Christmas.”

Bell said the students also help the New Boston Fire Department wrap gifts for members of the community.

FRANK LEWIS may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232