In the past nine months, while moving their instruction online, Sequim High School students have seen all of their activities, from dances and sporting events to after-school club events and more canceled amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the shut-downs, SHS students are rallying to host a special holiday-themed drive-thru and toy drive, set for noon-1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19, at the high school parking lot, 601 N. Sequim Ave.

Students can come and receive candy canes, cocoa and apple cider, and take part in a car decorating contest judged by Associated Student Body officers, with top honors going to those displaying the “most festive”spirit, Sequim High teacher/ASB advisor Sean O’Mera said.

“We (usually) have a lot of events during the winter, like Winter Wishes, but we can’t really do that now,” SHS Leadership group president Aidan Braaten said.

Instead, the students will host the holiday event with the key component a toy drive that benefits the Salvation Army of the Olympic Peninsula.

SHS Leadership students are most excited about the toy collection, O’Mera said, as many of the students would normally support the Salvation Army through the “giving tree” located in the SHS library.

The vast majority of students at Sequim Middle School and Sequim High School haven’t been in classrooms since the 2019 novel coronavirus began to spread throughout the region in mid-March. Some elementary school students returned to classrooms for a few weeks before reverting to a district-wide remote learning model on Nov. 25.

“It’s definitely difficult,” Braaten said, crediting SHS teachers for helping students stay positive.

“It’s going as well as it can during a pandemic,” Braaten said.

For more information about the drive-thru, call 360-582-3600.