Kindergarten teacher Cheryl Chambers had a holiday message for students at RC Hill Elementary in Romeoville.

"It's about giving, not about 'I want' or 'I got,'" Chambers said.

On Dec. 14, the school hosted its sixth annual Make A Difference Day, giving students the chance to reach out to children who are spending their holidays in the hospital.

"It's all volunteer," Chambers said, adding 121 students signed up for the program, which provided care packages including a stuffed toy and a personal note for children at Shriners Hospital for Children in Chicago and Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital. Toys were also donated to be distributed by several Romeoville Fire Department firehouses, Chambers said.

This year, Chambers found a way for students to "double dip" when it came to giving.

A portion of students' $7 donation was used to purchase stuffed toys at a discount through the Kohl's Cares program, which supports health and education efforts for children throughout the country. The toys, modeled after classic Dr. Seuss characters, were included in each gift bag.

Each student who participated received a certificate that read, "I made a difference," Chambers said.

"We wanted the kids to learn the gift of giving rather than receiving," she said.