TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR

Merrill High School (MHS) Business and DECA students created and distributed more than 2,000 “Cheer Kits” before Christmas to bring a little cheer to the Merrill School district’s students and community members. Each kit contained gloves, hats, candy, cocoa, and/or other goodies with a positive mental health note: “Keep this Cheer Kit to warm your hands or, to warm your heart, pass it on to another in need.”
“It made a lot of people happy,” said Amber Winter, DECA and Business Club President. “Our business classes enjoyed the process and learning about ethics, community service, business processes, organization, and warehouse logistics by setting up production lines to assemble the kits. We had to plan, fundraise, and order nearly 6,000 items to make the 2,000 kits. The classes put together almost 200 kits per hour.”
“DECA club members contacted community sponsors and grants for funding and distributed the kits through partner organizations they felt were important to reach as many people as possible,” Mrs. Olivia Dachel, DECA advisor and MHS Business & Computer Science Teacher said.
“The kits were distributed through the elementary schools with the MHS Raise Your Voice Club during December’s Mental Health Monday,” she said. “We had intended for every elementary and middle school student to receive one, but not all students wanted to take a kit.” She said they then distributed kits, in an effort to reach other community members in need, through the Food For Kids program administered by St. Stephens UCC (280-300 kits) and through the Trinity Lutheran Church Food Pantry (80 kits).
Additional kits were provided to the Merrill Police Department for distribution and at MHS prior to the Christmas break.
Support for the project came from the Merrill Community Foundation Beyond Crayons & Computers Grant Program.
Special appreciation goes out to our additional sponsors and community partners: Church Mutual, Crossbridge Community Bank, Walmart, The AmericInn, The Throwline, Raise Your Voice, Trinity Lutheran Food Pantry, the Food for Kids program, area Boy Scouts, and the Merrill Police Department, Mrs. Dachel said.
“It is not often that classes can participate in a project of this scale, experiencing so many foundational business concepts while making a positive difference in our community,” she said. “A teacher could not be more proud of their students.”