![Snip. Snip. Snip. Scissors cut through paper as Key Club President Addison Pithan works on holiday cards during their club meeting [Left]. Key Club is a club geared towards volunteering, and their next big project will be the Angel Tree, pictured right. “Here is this opportunity if you have the resources to donate. This goes back to the kids,” Pithan said.](http://beaststudentmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_0282-1-1200x900.jpeg)
The world is full of tragedy, check any news station. K-TV, NBC news, and many other news stations tell of hurricanes, death, shootings, floods, and much more, always showing thousands of victims each year who are at a hard time in their lives. These victims may have lost a lot of money and items.
“I think I would like to remind everyone that, as humans, we all go through ups and downs,” Key Club sponsor Susan Jones said. “There is probably not going to be a time where someone is not going through something. If they have not, they will. Everyone will need gentle assistance.”
Key Club in the 2024-2025 school year is providing assistance to those struggling through the Angel Tree Program. This program helps those who cannot financially afford Christmas gifts partake in the joy of the holidays.
“I’m excited because this is the first year that Key Club will be organizing the Angel Tree program at Bellevue East,” vice president of Key Club Khai Logan said. “In previous years, the Student Leadership team has been the sponsor for the program.”
Angel Tree is a program that was founded in the 80s by a woman named Mary Kay Beard. She saw prisoners giving gifts to children and was inspired by the acts, according to San Quentin News.
“Think about the things you might want or have your eye on for Christmas. There are some who do not have that opportunity,” Jones said. “So if you have any extra money or want to donate this year to someone your age, this year is a good opportunity.”
According to The Salvation Army, some children do not have the ability to get Christmas presents for a multitude of reasons, so they often feel left out during the holiday season. The Angel Tree program helps make the magic of Christmas accessible for all families no matter their salary.
“You will make a difference for families in our community,” Logan said, “By donating a gift, you are providing a special experience of excitement and joy to children.”
Students and staff can take a tag from the tree in the counselor’s office with the age and gender of a child. After purchasing a gift, they can bring the tag and unwrapped gift back to the counseling office to be donated.
“We will have a tree in the counselor’s office,” Jones said. “We will have tags so people can pick a student. The thought was you guys would know best what another teenager would want.”
According to The Salvation Army, this program has inspired many people. This includes a country artist, Jimmy Wayne, who wrote “Paper Angels”, which mentions a foster kid receiving an Angel Tree gift. This program started from a few small act of kindness to now a huge program that helps almost a million families.
“Thank you for taking the time to consider and give to others,” Logan said, “It’s a hard season for many out there, but having you support and enable them makes the holiday festivities much more accessible and enjoyable for all.”
![Spooky crafts. Waiting for students and the little kids to arrive, junior Amelia Watson [left] and junior Mila Hormann [right] volunteer with Art Club for Bellevue East’s BEAST Trick or Treat Night. They were in charge of running stations around the school in which kids stopped by and glued together Halloween themed characters such as pumpkins, ghosts, and Frankensteins. The Trick or Treat night is a fun opportunity for kids to connect with high schoolers and play games while dressed up in costumes. “BEAST Trick or Treat has been my favorite activity," Watson said. “It was fun working with little kids.”](http://beaststudentmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Art-Club-e1734116971959-900x1200.jpg)
![Trick or treat. Robney Barnett, dressed as a zombie, steps into his at the House of Horror on Logan Drive. After starting the haunted house, Halloween has never been the same for the Mulkey and Barrett families. “It was such a quiet neighborhood, maybe some people across the street occasionally. [Now], we have people from up the street, down the street, everywhere they come.” Kelly Mulkey said.](http://beaststudentmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/zombie-website-this-one-1200x800.png)