The Christmas spirit of giving continued into the New Year with generous, charitable donations by two Mount Saint Agnes Academy students.

Julia Pimentel, 12, and Emily Sinclair, 13, winner and first runner-up in The Royal Gazette’s Annual Christmas Short Story Contest independently decided to contribute a large portion of their winnings towards two deserving charities.

WindReach, whose mission is to enrich the quality of life for people with special needs, was the recipient of $100 from Julia, who decided to donate the money in memory of her cousin, Andrew Faries.

“I knew that I wanted to give to charity and there’s always so many that are deserving,” said Julia. “I chose to donate some of my money to Windreach because my cousin Andrew, who died unexpectedly two days after Christmas, volunteered his time and used his talents to help others there. I wanted to remember Andrew’s giving spirit and give my donation to those who need it most.”

The SPCA was the second beneficiary of the girls’ generosity when Emily Sinclair donated fifty percent of her Christmas short story winnings.

“I like animals and they deserve to be treated right, if not adopted,” responded Emily to the question of why she decided to support the SPCA.

“The SPCA provides the best service they can to our Island’s animals.”

Julia and Emily provide a great reminder that, while the holiday season has passed, now is always the time to be thinking of others.