PORT BYRON - The students at Dana West Junior/Senior High School grasped this month that pennies in the deepest crevices of pants pockets and nickels in between the couch cushions can spread some Christmas cheer.

Matt Helmer, 14, of Port Byron, always goes to his relatives for a large Christmas Eve dinner. He said there is so much food, and he stuffs his face. But other families may not be so fortunate, may not have the means to have a large Christmas dinner, and so Helmer and his fellow classmates decided to help them out.

This holiday season, students in the Port Byron Central School District building are donating their pocket change to the Port Byron Food Pantry as part of the first annual Quarter Challenge.

“There are people that don't have a home, don't have family to help them, don't have money for presents, and they should be able to have a nice dinner with their families,” Sarah Lombardo, 17 of Port Byron, said.

Every morning, Lombardo, who donated $53 in pennies travels around to each of the homerooms to ask for any spare change.

“Every quarter counts! Every quarter counts,” she says as she passes around a large plastic container that once contained coffee candy, but now is half-filled with silver and gold coins of zinc, copper and nickel and sheets of green paper.

In challenge's first two weeks, students raised $769.12. By today, they hope to reach $1,000.

“When we do something for other people,” Kara Pitcher, 17, of Port Byron said, “we end up uniting the school.”

Social studies teacher Linda Townsend said members of the community may need help this time of year, especially with the economy in recession, donating to help those less fortunate is a way to do something positive and inclusive.

“The response has been very positive,” she said. “People feel a part of this. Everybody's included.”

In addition to the emotions that come with giving back to the community, Townsend is giving students another motivation to hand in their loose change. The homeroom that donates the most money will have its choice of either a breakfast pizza or ice cream party.

A handful of students are rallying for math teacher Greg Kehoe and his homeroom to win the competition.

“It's nice to win,” he said, “but really the best thing is the money we raise for people and I'm proud of them. They are doing a good job.”

Over the summer, Helmer earned $70 mowing laws. Instead of keeping the money for himself, he decided to donate it, making him the first person to donate a large sum of money.

In addition to the Quarter Challenge, students wrote and decorated Christmas cards for senior citizens living in local nursing homes.

Nicole Secaur brought home bags of blank cards, and one week later had them all filled out. Then, junior high students decorated the envelopes. There are currently 1,000 cards filled out.

“It's just nice thinking that by doing something little, it can make people's holidays brighter, nicer, happier,” Erin Pine, 12, of Port Byron said. “So it's nice to do something like that.”

Christmas is a time when families come together, and Secaur said it may be hard for people when they don't have any families or friends in the area.

“Some people there don't have families,” she said. “They will open it and read it and think they are special, that people are thinking of them.”

Both initiatives, Townsend said, are indicative of the spirit and love Port Byron students have for their community.

“We are a small school,” she said, “but we have really large hearts.”