NATCHEZ &045; Both students and staff of Adams County Christian School agree &045; what makes its Class of 2005 so special is not just academics or athletics, but the community service it has embraced.

The list of community service projects the class has taken on during its senior year alone is quite lengthy.

Among other things, those projects included a fall blood drive; a canned food drive; Relay for Life; and Operation Christmas Child, in which Christmas gifts are collected and sent to children overseas.

&uot;They decided they wanted to do something for the community Šand worked together to make it happen,&uot; said ACCS counselor Micholyn Barnes, adding that the excitement seniors had while taking on the projects was evident.

&uot;They even took on a project where they did work around the house for a widow,&uot; Barnes said. &uot;And at school, a lot of them tutor the younger children.&uot;

One of the class’ most unusual fund-raisers was perhaps its Datamatch project.

Students filled out surveys and, using the answers, were matched by computer with 10 students of the opposite sex with which they were the most compatible.

What made ACCS’ Class of 2005 so active in community and school service projects at a time when fun and finals, college and work are on all seniors’ minds and take up much of their time?

Cassie Coward, student body president, said it was the sense that for many, the time to serve their hometown was now. &uot;It may be our last chance&uot; before college to do something for our community,&uot; said Coward.

&uot;It’s our opportunity to make a difference. And we want to leave it as an example for the other classes coming up, so they might do the same thing in the future.&uot;