As part of a long-term plan to integrate the knowledge of each culture and provide assistance, the district schools have teamed up with Los Medicos Voladores, also known as The Flying Doctors, to brighten the lives of orphans in Northern Mexico.

Several months ago, district parent Tom Hogan heard about the 12-year-old nonprofit organization, which largely sought doctors and pilots to provide volunteer service to a handful of countries. Hogan, of neither profession, sought a different way to help the struggling orphanages and indigenous tribes, which led him to seek out schools within the Los Gatos Union School District for fundraising events.

After he spoke with Fisher Middle School Principal Ken Lawrence Emanuel, the school aligned itself with an orphanage in Mexico called Casa Hogar. A different child from the orphanage was assigned to each classroom (43 in all), with jars set up for donations.

"We really jumped on the idea," says Lawrence Emanuel, explaining that the project was in accord with a service learning program the school is trying to implement. "This project is the first phase in a long-term relationship we hope to establish between the orphanage and the community."

"I don't want the school to think this is a one-time thing or just a toy drive," Hogan says. "The villages down there are in such severe need, and this was an easy way to kick the program off. It wasn't about Christmas in Mexico."

Hogan, who visited the orphanage last week, will be driving down to Mexico with volunteers by the end of December to personally deliver the gifts. He plans to take photos and videos to show the students when he returns, providing them a better idea of life in the orphanage and nearby villages. "I want to educate the students on what life is like down there. And then I would like the students to come up with their own idea of how to improve the lives of their peers," Hogan says. "Los Gatos kids can make small but substantial differences in these kids' lives over the years."

Hogan and Lawrence Emanuel look to be having no problems in drumming up support for this long-term project, evidenced by the outpouring of involvement in the gift drive.

Chandidi Stanley, a member of the school's Parent-Teacher Association, was in charge of collecting gifts and organizing the project this year. Once the donation jars were filled, Stanley, along with other parent volunteers, collected the money and set out to buy gifts—after receiving ample input on gift choices from the students.

The selected gift items ranged greatly, including clothing, stuffed animals, Legos, puzzles and sporting goods such as soccer balls and Frisbees. Hygiene kits with toothbrushes and toothpaste were also included, as well as Fisher T-shirts and journals. Stanley says the kids were very enthusiastic, using much of their own money to donate to the homeroom jars.

Once the gifts were collected, the school held a wrapping session so that the students could wrap the gifts personally.

"The kids did such a great job," Stanley says. "They really embraced it, and I think it meant a lot for the kids to give like they did."

Alex Noe, a seventh-grader at Fisher, participated in the wrapping event. "It was a lot of fun; I had a really good time," Noe says. "I wanted to help because I thought wrapping was fun, and I thought it was a good cause."

Charlie Duggan, a sixth-grader at Fisher, also had fun wrapping and getting to spend time with friends. "I was really surprised how many kids came—we filled a classroom and a half," Duggan says. "We just filled box after box for the kids." Duggan says his class was very involved in raising money and making gift suggestions. His teacher even made a quilt for the class-sponsored orphan. "We have so much here; these kids in Mexico have so little. I thought it would be good to help them out."