The holiday season is all about giving, and the students of Rochester Adams are no strangers to the giving spirit.

Since 2012, Adams Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) has been known as one of the largest donors to the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The club’s members achieved this title through the school’s tradition of hosting fundraisers throughout the school year for this cause.

All money raised through the fundraisers DECA hosts goes directly towards helping kids with Muscular Dystrophy, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and other related diseases which weaken muscle strength and limit mobility. The funds help pay for more than 3,800 children with these disorders to attend the week-long MDA summer camp at absolutely no charge.

As shared on the Muscular Dystrophy Association official website, “At MDA Summer Camp, kids are living beyond limits in a place where anything is possible. It’s a week where they’re free to enjoy adventures like horseback riding, swimming and fishing, develop lifelong friendships, and build self-confidence and independence.”

One of the fundraisers Adams DECA hosts is the Miracle Minute. This will take place on Thursday, December 8.  For this fundraiser, students are encouraged to bring in money to win a prize for their class. During sixth hour, one minute is put aside in class for students to dump all their money into their classroom’s bucket. The top three classes with the most money in their bucket wins their choice of food from Chipotle, Hungry Howie’s, or Buffalo Wild Wings.

“We do the Miracle Minute to raise funds for the MDA… It’s an awesome program that helps the families of kids [with muscular dystrophy]…when paying for medical bills and other expenses is really tough for most families, the money [we raise] help takes that burden off them.” said senior Grace Vandenbossche, President of Adams DECA.

It only takes one minute and a couple dollars to change the lives of kids living with neuromuscular diseases. So this Thursday, spread the word to students and teachers to bring in spare change to their sixth hour class, not only for a chance to win food, but to make a difference in a child’s life.