The holiday spirit is in the air at Akins as student groups find ways to bring cheer and help to others in need.

From volunteering for the Trail of Lights to helping collect donations for the Brown Santa program, Akins students are finding ways to reach out to their communities.

Both the Diamond Dazzlers and 911 Internship students volunteers at the annual Trail of Lights event in Zilker Park, which runs through Dec. 22.

Senior Christina Quintero said she had so much fun volunteering at Trail of Lights that she plans to keep doing it after high school.

This year would be the second year that the Diamond Dazzlers volunteer for the Trail of Lights. Last year the Diamond Dazzlers volunteered at the Candy Land display celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Trail of Lights.

Diamond Dazzlers director Ally Gates said that she hopes her students can understand that they are not just a performance group but they are also focused on supporting the Austin community.

The 911 Internship students have also volunteered at the Trail of Lights this year.

“I want to volunteer because I think it would be a fun experience for me because I’ve always gone and I see the volunteers,” senior Briana Estrada said.

Merry Memories, sponsored by the River City Youth Foundation, provides one of Austin’s largest toy giveaways with thousands of children receiving toys and gifts. Merry Memories spreads the holiday cheer with games and booths such as a Santa’s Village with arts and crafts and a Lego Holiday Village.

Akins Key Club members signed up to volunteer at Merry Memories, which was held at Dove Springs Recreation Center.

It was the second year that senior Crystal Mendieta said she volunteered for the event.

“This year I did a little bit of everything,” she said. “I colored and wrapped up candy bags. I made hot dogs for almost two hours, and we decorated outside. We basically just help anybody who needed help.”

Buck’s Barn is an organization started by a former Akins student, Buck Schroeter, who is now a leukemia survivor. Schroeter’s hope was to give back to the Dell Children’s Hospital for the care he had received during his illness. Throughout the year Buck’s Barn collects gifts and toys so that they can help ill children shop for presents for their family since the children can not leave the hospital due to their illnesses.

Akins National Honor Society students volunteered this year at the Buck’s Barn event at the hospital.

“The years that I have worked there I’ve been a personal shopper, so I walk around with the kids and they would tell me “My sister likes to play with dolls’ so we would go to the doll table and I would help them pick out their favorite doll to give to their sister,” senior Shelby Long said.

Criminal Justice teacher Sean Min decided to keep the tradition going of working with the Travis County Brown Santa program. Former Criminal Justice program teacher David Lopez started the collaboration.

“Mr. Lopez was actually the one who started this when he was still here and it has been handed down from him for us to continue,” current Criminal Justice teacher Sean Min said.

Brown Santa depends on receiving donation from others. They accept all sorts of goods such as non-perishable food items and unopened containers. These donations are given to thousands of children and families that are in need in the Austin area.