BAKER LAKE - Student council led the way in helping the student body at Jonah Amitnaaq Secondary School (JASS) in Baker Lake do its share for those less fortunate this holiday season.

The council organized a competition between classes to collect non-perishable food items for the RCMP Christmas Hamper food drive, which resulted in the most food items collected at JASS in years.

The students also raised money and collected food items by raffling a turkey during their Christmas concert.

And, to top it all off, the council added more to the RCMP Christmas Hamper by organizing gift wrapping during men's and lady's night at the Northern store.

The Northern provides tape and gift wrap and JASS provides the students.

Principal Bill Cooper said the council will also be supporting World Vision this coming year by giving a small gift to a developing country each month.

He said soccer balls will kick off the initiative this coming January, with other gifts to follow each month.

"This council seems to understand how to act locally, as well as globally," said Cooper.

"They served a hotdog lunch to the kids in the school this past week and looked after everyone's needs.

"We had a great Christmas, and we're proud of the job our student council members do every year."

Staff adviser Rebecca Walker said council members worked hard this month after planning a series of events in December to help the local food bank and World Vision.

She said each class had a week to bring in their food items during the successful school food drive.

"About half our classes participated in the event, and there was very good spirit throughout the school surrounding the project," said Walker.

"We do this every Christmas, and the amount of food we collect varies from year to year, but this was a really good year for us.

"The classes that took part were very competitive, with the top two collecting 212 and 150 non-perishable food items."

Walker said the gift wrapping at the Northern store is also an annual event.

She said the males wrap on lady's night and the females wrap on men's night.

"We have a strong group of students on council every year, but this year's council has been very active.

"Council members will go out in the school community and recruit other kids to help out.

"The goal of student council is to raise school spirit, so, when council members see kids are participating in the various projects, it lets them know they're doing their job.

"The more spirit there is, the happier they are and the more they want to do."