Around this time each year, Christmas spirit fills the air. At Notre Dame, the true essence of Christmas is giving back to the community. To show ND’s cheer, multiple fundraisers ranging from a Toys for Tots dress down day to a giving tree for local youth in foster care took place throughout the month of December.

The beginning of winter also brought along with it the meticulous planning of Notre Dame’s biggest fundraiser, Mini-THON. Started 12 years ago, Notre Dame’s Mini-THON has danced right into the hearts of the community, as students in all grades stand and dance to raise money for pediatric cancer. Last year, the 300 students who participated raised over $100,000 for the kids. With Zumba at 3 a.m., the teacher lip-syncing contest and the great memories the students make, Mini-THON is a great way to get involved within the community.

To kick-off the start of winter sports, the 12th annual Jeff Dailey tournament took place Dec. 6 and 7, with four teams competing for the championship: Freedom; Pocono Mountain West; Bethlehem Catholic; and Notre Dame. Freedom eventually came out on top. This tournament honors Jeff Dailey, a former student at Notre Dame who died in a tragic fire while attending East Stroudsburg University. On Saturday before the big championship, the Crusaders girls basketball team took on Central Catholic, ultimately winning 41-31.

As winter break approaches, the Crusader calendar is packed with all different types of events. Coming back from a well-deserved, two-week vacation, the students then put on their thinking caps to endure four days of intensive midterms. The conclusion of midterms signifies the start of the third quarter, and the beginning of a new semester. With all of the great things planned for Notre Dame’s future, it sure is “A great day to be a Crusader!”