When the fidget spinner craze took over a few weeks ago, one Oxford resident decided to use their popularity to benefit those in need.

Alex VanHaren, a fifth-grader at Oxford Elementary School, made and sold fidget spinners– donating 100 percent of the proceeds to a local charitable organization earlier this month.

Fidget spinners are a type of stress-reducing toy, which spins and consists of a bearing in the center of a design made from a variety of materials including brass, stainless steel, titanium, copper and plastic.

The toys are also advertised to be beneficial to those who have trouble focusing, such as those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism or anxiety.

VanHaren began replicating the parts and assembling the toys himself in April using the family’s 3-D printer. Each spinner took about an hour to print.

By the beginning of May, VanHaren had made 25 spinners.

“I just thought, since these fidget spinners are really popular right now, I just thought of making a quick few hundred dollars but then when I thought about it, I thought ‘Why don’t I have some of this go to some sort of charity?’” said VanHaren.

At the suggestion of Tom Jones, owner of Funky Monkey Toys in downtown Oxford, VanHaren decided to focus his efforts towards the Oxford chapter of Blessings in a Backpack, a nonprofit organization which distributes backpacks filled with non-perishable food for the weekend (six meals) to at-risk students.

“I hadn’t worked with Blessings in a Backpack before but I’m hoping it’s going to help kids,” said VanHaren.

The toys were sold at Funky Monkey Toys on May 7. The spinners sold out within an hour and a half, bringing in a total donation of $335 according to Jones.

“I knew that he was a bright young entrepreneur the first time I saw him. He was prepared, he was equipped, he was professional… we’re very proud to be helping kids with these backpacks,” said Jones.

One hundred percent of the proceeds were donated to Blessings in a Backpack.

Greg Clay, who volunteers with Blessings in a Backpack’s Oxford program, said the donation will make an enormous difference in the lives of local children.

“We were thrilled to get the call from Alex’s mom that they were going to make a donation to Blessings in a Backpack. It’s so nice that he’s doing this… a huge, huge thank you to them for doing that and it makes a big difference in letting us accomplish our mission of sending food home with kids who are on free or reduced lunch program,” said Clay.

According to Clay, the money donated by VanHaren will be enough to feed four Oxford students throughout the 2017-18 school year.