POCATELLO — Two Lewis & Clark Elementary School students exemplified the holiday spirit this month by collecting hundreds of boxes of cereal to be donated to classmates in need.

Brothers Crue and Cooper Lamb, ages 11 and 10 respectively, got the idea to collect the cereal because they have classmates who are in need of the food provided by their school’s food pantry.

“We’re trying to raise money and get cereal for the kids in our school who have to use the backpack program,” Crue said. “We’re trying to have a breakfast (for them) for every day they are off for winter break.”

The backpack program is a local initiative that provides backpacks full of food to School District 25 students who lack food at home. In recent years the program has expanded to providing enough food for not just the students but their entire families who otherwise would go hungry.

Crue and Cooper’s mother, Shantaila Lamb, said several people helped them collect the cereal that was donated to the boys’ holiday effort. Many people also brought them boxes of cereal or gave them money to buy cereal, she said.

“Albertsons helped us get 152 boxes (of cereal) and 50 boxes were brought to our house,” she said. “Post Cereal out of Tremonton, Utah, donated 150 boxes to the boys.”

Crue said their favorite part about collecting the cereal was that it felt good to help classmates in need.

“I like knowing that I’m going to be able to help other people and that some of my friends will be able to have breakfast over winter break,” he said.

The boys donated their cereal to Lewis & Clark’s backpack program on Monday. In total, they collected 352 boxes of cereal. Their goal was 150.