In the spirit of Thanksgiving, two Salvation Army representatives awarded Bellarmine-Jefferson High School in Burbank with a special trophy Nov. 18 honoring its student volunteers who have raised thousands of dollars as Christmas kettle collection "bell-ringers" over the past three years.

Moy and Erika Hernandez, Salvation Army Captains based in Burbank, presented Holy Names Sister Cheryl Milner, Bellarmine-Jefferson principal, with a red kettle trophy during an honors school assembly where members of the sophomore, junior and senior classes representing over 50 percent of the student body were recognized for their commitment to the annual appeal. The trophy is engraved with the amount of donations that have been collected by the students: $5,437.23 (2001), $7,261.48 (2002) and $8,447.67 (2003).

"The students get excited about doing this every year," said Sister Milner. The program is coordinated by economics teacher Dennis Ryan, who makes sure students have transportation to the five designated grocery and drug store locations. Approximately 20 students a day staff the kettles in two-hour shifts after school Monday through Friday and for eight hours on Saturday.

According to Salvation Army officials, Bellarmine-Jefferson is the only school in the nation participating in the bell-ringer collection campaign. As in previous years, the students staff kettles the day after Thanksgiving up until Christmas. Many of the student volunteers also help out as servers at the annual Salvation Army Thanksgiving feast held Nov. 24 at the army's headquarters not far from the school.

Andrey Akopyan, 17, a Bellarmine-Jefferson senior who has volunteered both as a bell-ringer and a Thanksgiving server, said participating in the program has allowed him to meet new people and made him aware of community outreach to the disadvantaged. He enjoys telling donors that his uniform (white shirt and navy tie and pants) represents Bellarmine-Jefferson, "the best kept secret in Burbank."

Usually working in pairs, the students often engage in entertaining antics to attract donors. Bell-ringers Megan Cormier, 16, and Jeannette Lambert, 17, have sung Christmas carols and practiced cheerleading during their shifts.

"You get more money when you entertain," said Lambert. Far from feeling embarrassed, Lambert said she feels happy with herself knowing she is helping others. "It's something we look forward to doing," added Cormier.