While most students spent their last day of school before Christmas vacation swapping presents and having parties, the fourth-grade class at John T. Morgan Academy took the spirit of giving one step further.

Instead of giving each other gifts that will likely be forgotten or broken in the months to come, the students wanted to do something that would make a more lasting impression.

With help from their teachers, Martha Walker and Amy Coffee, the entire class decided to collect money for the Wheelchair Foundation of America, a non-profit organization which donates wheelchairs to handicapped people around the world.

According to Donald Coffee, Jr., Amy’s husband, the students originally planed to give the organization enough money for only one or two wheelchairs.

Surprisingly, after a month of emptying their piggy banks and asking family and friends for donations, this group of students managed to raise $1,650.

Coffee said this was enough to buy 22 wheelchairs at $75 each.

All of the money was presented to the Selma Rotary Club at the school on Dec. 19.

The Rotary Club’s international network of volunteers aid the Wheelchair Foundation of America in collecting funds and distributing the wheelchairs.

Coffee said the Rotary Club will send the students pictures of every person who received a free wheelchair because of the money they donated.

Doing charity work as a year-end class project is becoming sort of a tradition for the John T. Morgan fourth-graders. The class has been donating good or funds to non-profit organizations for the past few years.

Coffee said the Wheelchair Foundation of America is a year-round project that is open to anyone willing to give.

More information about this organization can be obtained by contacting any Rotary Club member.