SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Students at Ecole Allain St-Cyr are keeping up with this year's theme - giving is receiving. The school has been involved in local, territorial and international humanitarian aid projects this year.

"We are in a very fortunate situation being that we're Canadian," said Yvonne Careen, principal of the school. "Locally, we have people in need, as well territorially, and in the bigger plan - internationally."

For their local project the students have collected more than 150 pairs of socks to donate to the Yellowknife Salvation Army.

The school had the idea after watching local filmmaker France Benoit's short film Hand to Toe. The film is about the foot washing program at the Salvation Army.

"We knew we couldn't do that, so we decided to do this," said Zion Naveed, a Grade 3 student at the school.

"Lots of homeless people don't have shoes or socks, so their feet are getting really cold."

Anabel Flamand, Grade 3 was one of the students that helped count the collected socks.

"I thought they would be really happy," said Flamand. "We hope that they'll be warm."

The school plans to give the socks to the Salvation Army on Saturday.

For their territorial project the school was involved in YWCA's Coats for Kids campaign.

"We collected used coats that can be redistributed in communities to keep people warm," said Careen.

She said the school managed to collect five garbage bags full of coats as well as gloves.

For their international project the school managed to raise about $12,000 for relief efforts in Pakistan after the country experienced flooding last summer.

"I have family in Pakistan and they told me lots about the people there," said Naveed. "I feel really sad and hope to help them."

Kindergarten to Grade 12 students are involved in the fundraising events which varied from penny collections to bake sales.

For their next international humanitarian project the school will be raising money to drill a well and provide desks and chairs for a classroom in India.

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