The stress of upcoming finals hasn't deterred many Penn State students from remembering the less fortunate this holiday season. Groups on campus are sponsoring activities for students to get involved with that benefit members of State College and surrounding communities.

Association of Residence Hall Students is participating in the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program for the seventh consecutive year.

"So many people help to make it work," said Diana Moore, office manger for the Office of Residence Life in East Halls. "It's also important to remember that the students make it happen. Without them it wouldn't work."

The program will run until Monday, when U.S. Marines will pick up the donated toys. Students are still able to drop off unwrapped toys in labeled boxes found in the South, Pollock and East Halls commons, Moore said.

Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon has been selling holiday cards created by Four Diamonds Fund children to raise money for the fund.

Cards are being sold in the Thon office for $8 per pack of 20 cards. Order forms are available in the Thon office in 220 HUB-Robeson Center.

For the first time, the Department of Kinesiology and its students are jointly sponsoring a local family for the holiday season.

"We thought one single project would be more successful than the three that went on last year," said Kenyan Cattell, undergraduate staff assistant.

The Kinesiology Club, the newly formed Health and Physical Education Interest Group (HPEIG), and Kinesiology classes 402 (Physical Activities for Children in Special Education) and 457 (Exercise Prescription and Case Studies) brought items that were on wish lists for the family. Items included toys, clothes and gift baskets of food and bathroom items.

Students are welcome to stop by the kinesiology office, 275 Rec Hall, and drop off any addition items or look at the list of items suggested for donation, Cattell said.

"This will be an ongoing effort throughout the year. We'll be having a second major collection in the spring," Cattell said. "I mean, everyone donates in December, but come July, nothing really happens."

Jeremy Donmoyer (senior-kinesiology), HPEIG president, said the collaborative effort was a benefit to the project.

"A lot of students are involved with the project, rather than faculty alone," he said. "Everyone's working together towards that one objective."