CANTON -- Two groups of students from SUNY Canton's business and automotive technology departments recently made gifts to U.S. Army personnel overseas and a North Country family.

This past semester, students were asked to draw up a plan for a community service project in Assistant Professor Nicholas C. Kocher's intro to business course to help demonstrate corporate social responsibility. Joseph C. Lugo, a business administration major from Canton, created a care-package program for deployed Fort Drum soldiers stationed near the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Lugo was so inspired with the practice project that he made it into a real program.

"Joe started by acquiring a lead donation from North Country Savings Bank," Kocher said. "He and other students set up fundraising tables and collection points across campus and ended up collecting more than $500 in donations."

Lugo established a connection with Steven W. Thornton, marketing director at North Country Savings Bank and a 1978 SUNY Canton graduate, to collect or purchase common household items to ease daily life for the soldiers. To top it off, Lugo used a portion of the donations to buy the soldiers a Microsoft Xbox 360. "I hope in small way my project encourages others to get involved and help people for the greater good," the business student said.

Students in the automotive technology program practiced their talents to benefit others. Gregory Kmiotek, Binghamton, and Maximilian P. Gorence, Edmeston, put about 50 hours of volunteer work into a Honda Odyssey minivan for a North Country family. The Canino School of Engineering Technology works with Helping Hands, Inc., a Potsdam- based charity, to collect, repair and distribute gently used vehicles to deserving local families.

"This is the fifth vehicle our students have reconditioned for Helping Hands," said Brandon J. Baldwin, an automotive technology assistant professor. "Students gain valuable experience honing their diagnostic and repair skills on the donated late model vehicles."

Thomas F. Chappell, director of Helping Hands, went to the campus to thank the students for their time and explained that the van would be given to a family with three children in time for the holidays.