The holiday season is an exciting time at Sandpoint High School. Christmas break is coming, the trees are going up, and everyone is getting ready for Battle for the Paddle with the help of donating to Toys for Tots. Battle for the Paddle is the annual school event where Sandpoint competes against Lakeland in many different events and activities. This includes basketball, wrestling, dance, cheer, art, band, rap battle, lip sync, boat race, fundraising, and school spirit. This year, Battle for the Paddle is in Sandpoint on January 20th and the more students that participate the better. Tickets will be sold at both lunches and after school that includes T-Shirts and a swag bag which is first come first serve. Senior Elly Pincher has been working hard on organizing this event and says, “Overall I feel like Battle for the Paddle is coming along fairly well. We have planned a little earlier this year so when we really dive in everything will be organized. This year will be a good year and student council is so excited to get students involved more through assemblies this year. Personally, I feel that we have a fair shot at winning Battle for the Paddle this year with the help of all of our students, peers, and community and we couldn’t be more excited to host!” Another great way to support our school besides participating and cheering on your classmates is by donating to Toys for Tots. A great amount of points are given to the school that made the most money fundraising and last year we had a new record but Lakeland was able to sneak in a win and raised more money. This is a great way to help our community and give to others while also helping our school get the paddle back.  Something new Sandpoint is trying out this year is using Vertical Raise to raise more money to help our community. Toys for Tots is a fundraiser to let others get the chance to receive toys some may struggle to fund and get the magical Christmas experience every child deserves to experience.