FORT WAYNE, Indiana (Indiana's NewsCenter)--Area high school students are getting into the Christmas spirit. Members of Northrop High School’s Interact Club loaded up more than 250 boxes today to send to children in third world countries’

The boxes contain toys, candy and personal hygiene products. It’s all part of Operation Christmas Child, which serves children in one hundred countries.

“When you have that box and you're loading it the next person who opens it is going to be some kid in a third world country who has never had anything before in his life,” says Interact Club’s Max Alexander. “That sentimental value of that experience is why we do it. Obviously it's beneficial but that's why we get so much help, the kids love that aspect of it.

The boxes also contain school items like pencils, pens and crayons. Alexander says many kids who get these gifts have educational opportunities but no supplies to write with. Last year northeast Indiana students contributed 21,000 boxes to this effort.