Lindbergh High School students are playing Santa this year for about 100 elementary students.

“We decided to take it upon us to make sure they got a gift,” said sophomore Adrian Villanuevue.

This is the second year Lindbergh’s Association of Marketing Students (DECA) organized the giving-tree program.

Writing names on gift tags and carefully checking their list twice, students gathered to wrap the presents after school.

A spool of green ribbon flew through the air, and striped holiday wrapping covered odd-shaped packages. Sparkling gifts toppled out of large black garbage bags, looking much like Santa’s sack.

It’s Villanuevue’s favorite part of the project, “seeing everyone work together to make kids happy,” he said.

The students set the goal of collecting 100 gifts. Villanuevue collected 25 names each from Benson Hill, Cascade, Tiffany and Renton Park elementary schools.

A tree was decorated with a tag for each child and set in the school’s cafeteria. The high school was invited to help.

The project taught kids about charity, and for some about leadership.

“I grew up a little more by doing this,” Villanuevue said.

It’s not unusual for DECA to do charitable projects like this, said teacher Gene Kolczynski. “It’s the season for community service.”

DECA is hoping to raise $10,000 this year for Global Partnerships, a company that offers micro loans in Latin America. A Renton Rotary Club matching donation of $5,000 will help them meet their goal.

Students hope to raise a majority of the money with a fashion show Thursday, called “Get Your Fash’On.”

Lindbergh’s DECA has about 75 members, and about 40 students are active, Kolczynski said.

DECA is a co-curricular club, where students from school marketing classes take what they’ve learned and apply it to community service and leadership competitions.