By Gabrielle Terrett

The Vicksburg Post

Teacher Woodrow Price wanted to ensure his students at Warren Central Intermediate School had something to receive during Christmas, while also learning the value of giving.

Thursday, Price organized a Christmas toy giveaway for students at WCI that has become a tradition.

“Today, at Warren Central Intermediate, we are in ‘Operation Give’ mode,” said Price. “Today, each child here at Warren Central Intermediate will receive a gift for Christmas.”

The Christmas giveaway started small but through the help of social media it began to grow and donations flooded in.

“All donations were solicited through Facebook,” Price said. “I started the Facebook campaign and I do this every year. People donate through Cash App and Paypal.”

Price was inspired by his students to start the good deed in 2015 and has continued the giveaway ever since.

“It started in 2015,” said Price. “I was teaching at Sherman Avenue and the class wrote letters to Santa. Everyone wrote that they wanted a bike so I tried to make their dream come true by getting every child at the school a bike. After the giveaway, a lot of the students were upset because they didn’t receive a bike so I try to make sure that I give every child a gift every year for Christmas.”

Despite humble beginnings with his idea for a Christmas toy giveaway, Price continued to host it each year and has given away more than 500 gifts to students.

“Year one we gave away 30 gifts,” Price said. “Year two it was 200; year three was 400 and the numbers kept going up. We’ve gone up to about 1,000 gifts.”

Students in grades third through sixth came down the stairs into the WCI foyer to crowd the tables covered in toys and pick out one item as a Christmas gift.

The gifts ranged from basketballs and scented lotions to earrings and gift cards. Students were extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity as each gave a big smile and thank you to the faculty and staff as they exited the foyer back to their classrooms.

“I got a Wal-Mart gift card,” said Landon Prentiss, a third-grader at WCI. “I’m excited for Christmas and I’m going to go into Wal-Mart and pick out the gift I want.”

In addition to Price, a team of faculty, staff, parents and volunteers helped make the WCI students feel special.

“I think this makes the students feel good,” WCI Principal Tonya Magee said. “That we care enough to at least make sure they have something for Christmas. I think this is wonderful and any little thing that you give them makes them feel good. So this is wonderful for the kids.”

Magee said Price proves to be a prime example for others who wish to serve.

“Mr. Price is a wonderful person,” Magee said. “He is a great asset to the Vicksburg Warren School District.”

Price said the credit belongs with the community for giving so generously.

“I’d like to thank everybody for the community support and helping us to get every child a gift for Christmas so they will feel special at Warren Central Intermediate School,” said Price.