The Newton High School Beta Club were in the giving holiday spirit this week as they helped deliver Christmas to several families Monday.

Students and advisers for the club for the last couple of months have held fundraisers and even donated money from their own pockets to purchase clothes, toys and other needs of several families just in time for Christmas.

Derykka Miller, NHS teacher and Beta Club sponsor, said the club, which recently started back up after a few years on a hiatus, recruited new members this year and decided to adopt several families this Christmas for its community service project.

The club adopted two families from Live Oak Elementary, two families from Porterdale Elementary, and then one family from NHS, Miller explained.

A decorated Christmas tree with written names and needed gifts were placed in the NHS commons area, where teachers and students pulled names and then purchased the gift and brought them back to the Beta Club.

"We had one teacher who gave $260 and then of course a lot of other ones gave here and there and bought gifts," Miller said. "The kids worked real hard."

"We had one fundraiser where we sold doughnuts… the rest has just been donations from people in the school, from the students, from the students’ families, and from students going out trying to find other people who would do it."

There are currently 21 students in NHS Beta Club in ninth through 12th grade, Miller said. Students who participate in the club must have a 3.0 GPA, be recommended by a teacher, exhibit good character and want to serve others.

Along with Miller, teachers Cheryl Allen and Shawnta Earwood also serve as sponsors for the club.