By Rusty Nixon Correspondent
PLYMOUTH — Plymouth High School’s Student Council has experienced a kind of Christmas miracle.
Just days ago, the group who sponsors a Christmas party for underprivileged children and also provides for high school students and several area families on this holiday, was drastically short of the money needed to accomplish their goals.
“Just a couple of days ago we were underwater,” said Carin Plothow, Plymouth High School teacher who is the sponsor of the Student Council. “Thanks to a couple of big individual donors the past couple of days we’re back on track.”

The Student Council began raising money for the event in October and at the end of November, they found themselves in the unenviable position of having to decide what not to do this year.
“We were looking at not being able to help the high school students that we normally do and not being able to help the families we normally do,” said Plothow. “We were at the point where we were going to have to drastically scale back the Christmas party.”
Every year, the PHS Student Council holds its Christmas party for 50 children that are screened by the guidance office for participation. Kids are treated to a day of fun, games, crafts, a visit with Santa and a large goody bag of items. The Council also adopts fellow high school students in their “Christmas Elf” program where the students receive items of need anonymously. They also sponsor several families referred by churches.
It appears the giving will go on as usual now thanks to the efforts of some private individuals.
Plothow also says the situation has been a valuable learning experience for the students involved.
“They get to go through the whole process of how much work it takes and everything that’s involved with doing something like this,” said Plothow. “The goal was for each student to go out and raise at least $150. They got to experience first hand how tough it is.”
The students will get to continue working as the Council will be seeking donations right up to and beyond the Dec. 20 party date.
“We’ll take any kind of donation, money, items, anything,” said Plothow. “Anything that isn’t appropriate for us we pack up and donate to the Marshall County Neighborhood Center.”