In partnership with the Austin Police Department, FCCLA conducted its annual Blue Santa event on Friday Dec. 2 to raise money and collect toys for Central Texas families-in-need. This year Vice President of Programs and Events Chelsea Huntley and Angelina Fleming coordinated the event, encouraging students and community members to contribute by donating gently-used toys, making monetary donations, and purchasing tickets for the basketball game fundraiser.

“Personally, it’s going to be awesome if we have the best, biggest Blue Santa ever,” Huntley said. “My hope is that the children who benefit from this project know that they can depend on their community.”

Throughout the day, FCCLA provided Christmas treats such as homemade baked goods and hot chocolate for students to purchase while watching Christmas movies in the library. During Ranger Time, students paid $1 to attend the annual faculty basketball game.

“We want to take this community service project to the STAR events competition and get to nationals,” Huntley said. “We’ve done the competition a bunch of times in the past with the same project, and it usually makes it to state but it never makes it to nationals. That is why we are trying to go the extra mile this year.”

In competition with Cedar Park, FCCLA currently has raised $1,800 and will accept further contributions until Friday Dec. 16 in rooms C420 and C419.