In the spirit of the holidays, students and staff at Oxford Middle School donated nearly $6,200 to the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) on Dec. 22.

The WWP is a nonprofit organization that supports and empowers injured military veterans and their families.

According to the WWP website, as of Dec. 1, the organization had helped more than 96,000 veterans and their families since its founding in 2003.

OMS students and staff collected nearly $5,800 during a three-day “Penny Wars” fund-raiser. Additional contributions later brought the donation to its final amount.

A check was presented to WWP Alumni Dave Denhardt, on behalf of the organization, at an assembly before the students were dismissed for winter break.

“It felt great to receive that level of love and support from the community,” Denhardt told this reporter.

During the assembly, students also listened intently to the words of guest speaker Nick Koulchar, a U.S. Army veteran.

A combat engineer with the Army’s 1st Armored Division, Koulchar lost both his legs when a roadside bomb exploded in Sadr City, Iraq, in August 2008.

It was through that ordeal that Koulchar learned the importance of overcoming obstacles in life and being able to harness one’s inner strength.

Although this is the second year the school has participated in Giving Week, this is the first time OMS has donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Last year, the school raised more $6,000 to help grant the wish of an 11th-grader from Oakland County named Molly, who wanted to visit Disney World with her family. This was done through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“Each year, the students learn about and nominate charities and then they vote for . . . which charity they want to support as a building,” explained OMS Assistant Principal Maryanne Moriconi.

“We do some research, make sure that the charities that they are interested in are not only reputable, but do both local and national good . . . This year, our building was very passionate about the Wounded Warrior Project and really wanted to support the men and women who support our country.”