This holiday season, students at Lake Tapps Middle School have collected more than 100 gift boxes for local teenage students for their Teen Shoebox Project.

The Shoebox Project gives local teens, between the ages of 12 and 18 years of age, the opportunity to receive a small shoebox of gifts for the holiday season. Each box contains between $20 and $30 worth of gifts.

“I could not be more proud to be associated with these fine young people,” said Effie Dattilo, president of the North Tapps Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association. “These students show compassion and generosity beyond what our world expects from middle school students.”

The shoeboxes, which were wrapped by student volunteers at the Bonney Lake Police Department Sunday, were received by the city’s Giving Tree program to be dispersed to the families in need.

One North Tapps student, Lauren Churchill, gifted 20 shoeboxes and dipped into her own savings to pay for them.

“I really wanted to help the kids,” Lauren said. “I didn’t want to do just a few.”

As well as a few fun items, Lauren put essentials into the shoeboxes, including toothpaste, deodorant and school supplies.

Barbara Wigton, who organizes Giving Tree, said the program gifted presents to more than 800 children last year.