People are used to seeing a university campus rally around a sports team and strive to achieve academic goals, but this year Appalachian State has decided to unite to provide holiday gifts for children around the world. 

Students, faculty and staff at Appalachian State University have started a movement to support the efforts of Samaritans Purse's Operation Christmas Child - the Boone-based relief operation that collects and distributes Christmas gifts to millions of disadvantaged children around the world.

Kimberly Forren, an OCC employee who has been overseeing the campus movement, said, "Working with a college campus is new territory for OCC, but we hope that the motivation and compassion that the ASU community has shown will be an example for other colleges to recognize the difference they can make when they come together as a united force."

Tuesday night's ASU men's basketball game kicked off the four days of collections at ASU. Volunteers set up a table to inform more people about Operation Christmas Child and organized a halftime competition in which participants competed to assemble a shoe box filled with toys, candy, and hygiene items.

Volunteers will be on hand at the final regular season home football game against Western Carolina on Saturday.
"We've been really excited to see how groups like the athletics department, alumni, business marketing students, etc. have embraced  the project and run with it." said Kimberly. 

To learn more about Operation Christmas Child and how to pack a shoe box, go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org or call (828) 262-1980.