GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s that time of the year when children are writing their Christmas wish lists, but students at one Green Bay school are looking to make the holidays brighter for kids diagnosed with cancer, all while honoring a classmate.

What You Need To Know

  • Just days before Christmas, 5th graders from Annie Jackson Elementary were shopping for toys as part of their school’s “Change for Change” challenge

  • For one week, students collected $1,338.92 in spare coins to buy these gifts

  • Kids at the hospital diagnosed with cancer will receive donated toys

  • Days after students completed their shopping, inside Annie Jackson Elementary School’s gym, a representative from HSHS St. Vincent Hospital was on hand to receive the gifts, alongside Nathan Goslin. His son Gavin was an enthusiastic participant in the Change for Change challenge

  • Gavin was diagnosed with cancer and spent his final days as a patient at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital, where toys are donated

Just days before Christmas, 5th graders from Annie Jackson Elementary aren’t shopping for themselves.

These students are shopping for toys as part of their school’s “Change for Change” challenge. For one week, students collected $1,338.92 in spare coins to buy these gifts.

 School counselor Tammy Van Ess said toys are going to make a big difference in the community.

“The money that we raised is purchasing gifts for the HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital here in Green Bay,” Van Ess said.

Kids at the hospital diagnosed with cancer will receive donated toys. Van Ess said she and her students hope the gifts will brighten patients’ holidays.

While shopping, 5th grader Myles looked for things like board games or Packers shirts. He said it’s heartwarming to shop for a kid who can’t have this experience.

“It makes me feel amazing that I’m helping the people that are in need, because sometimes you’re going through the store, and you’re getting stuff for yourself, but you never really think about those people that cannot go and do that for themselves,” Myles said.

Fifth grader Anastasia said she’s also happy she can help bring comfort to pediatric cancer patients this Christmas.

“It makes me feel like, like, proud, because I want to help people that can’t really like, do the holidays at their home,” Anastasia said.

Days after students completed their shopping, inside Annie Jackson Elementary School’s gym, a representative from HSHS St. Vincent Hospital was on hand to receive the gifts.

There was another special guest in the crowd: Nathan Goslin.

His son Gavin was an enthusiastic participant in the Change for Change challenge.

Gavin was diagnosed with cancer and spent his final days as a patient at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital.

Goslin said these students embody the spirit of the holidays.

“It’s heartwarming. It’s cool to see the kids get to do the same things my son did and stuff like that, and keep it going, because it helps a lot of people, just like my son did,” Goslin said.

Van Ess said she’s thankful her students learned a powerful Christmas lesson that’s not taught in books. 

“Oftentimes, we think about, ‘What do we get for the holidays?’ ‘What do we want on our list?’ But we also need to remember how to give as opposed to receiving,” Van Ess said.

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