Culver Academies students’ donations to brighten holidays for 173 children, 20 senior citizens

Jackson Tharin ’26, the other co-chair of the Culver Academies Community Service Council, said he likes giving back to the community that supports students throughout the academic year.

“I wanted to give back to that community, and I think this Christmas Basket program is the best way to do it,” he said.

Angie Strobel ’98, Culver Academies’ community engagement coordinator, said the students could have supported more donations but the Culver Community Christmas Basket Inc. ran out of children in need.

“Which is a good problem,” Strobel said.

Some groups who weren't able to support as many children as they hoped to donated money to Christmas Basket Inc.

Students from most of the dorms and barracks on campus took part, as did many athletic teams. As in years past, the biggest donors from Culver Academies was the CGA hockey team, which provided gifts for 45 needy children. Coach Cory Whitaker, director of the CGA hockey program, said he tells his players the program is a reminder of how blessed they are. Whitaker said he asked the players what was on their Christmas lists.

“They said, ‘iPads, vacations’ and all of these things,” Whitaker said. “I then asked some players to read off what the children from the Christmas Basket program wanted. It was socks, a winter coat, things like that that we take for granted.”

Whitaker said while Culver can be a challenging place, sometimes students lose sight of what hard really is.

“Hard to me is not knowing where your next meal is coming from. Hard for me is realizing I have to go outside on a cold, snowy day without a winter coat. So the opportunity to provide that clarity to our students is extremely important because of how blessed we are,” he said.

CGA prep hockey captain Jase Krantz ’26 said the players talk a lot about being part of something bigger than the team and giving back is a great way to show that. They traveled to South Bend to Target to buy gifts for the children they were assigned.

“It was so much fun,” Krantz said.  “It was a great opportunity for us to bond together and it’s a great reminder of how much we do have and a way to remind us to be grateful.”

Ciel Dorm contributed gifts to 20 children. Harbor and Atrium dorms contributed gifts to 17 children. Benson Dorm provided gifts for 16 children and five senior citizens. Court Dorm donated gifts for 12 children and two seniors. CGA swim and dive donated gifts to seven children and four seniors. Other groups involved included Company B, Speech, Battery C, Troop A, Company A, Company C, Battery B, CGA and CMA rowing, advising and Troop B.

Members of CMA’s artillery battalion used the school’s military trucks to transport food purchased at Park ‘n’ Shop to Culver Community High School on Friday, where Culver Academies students unloaded the trucks. On Saturday, volunteers from the Academies and the community packed food boxes. Several Academies students helped first responders load the gift and food baskets, then the first responders delivered them to families on Sunday.