COEUR d’ALENE — When Coeur d'Alene High School's food bank fundraising goal came up short, two students sprang to community action.

Seniors and friends Eric Bassett and Ross Rehnberg raised about a quarter of the $4,000 the school donated last week to the Community Action Partnership Coeur d'Alene Food Bank.

Food bank manager Nicol Barnes will never forget the gesture.

"I literally went to the school to pick the check up and I bawled like a child," Barnes said. "These two young men made it happen."

Bassett's leadership teacher, Don Callister, said Bassett was eager to give from the beginning.

"Eric stepped forward on the first day and said, 'Here's $100, boom,' and then he continued to motivate his class," Callister said, adding when the donations had not reached the goal, "he read the class the riot act."

Bassett donated $400 of his own money and Rehnberg fundraised at least that much to add to the cause. Barnes said these guys definitely deserve some recognition for their selflessness.

"I just thought it was really special," she said.

Although Bassett and Rehnberg were fundraising powerhouses, Callister said the little donations from students warmed his heart just as much.

"It was really overwhelming to see those kids use their own money," he said. "I also had a couple kids come by from special ed. and give me a quarter and apologize that that's all they had."

All schools in the Coeur d'Alene School District made a dent in the local hunger problem when they donated 3,505 pounds of food at the close of a district-wide drive March 1. Over the past year, the schools have donated nearly 9,500 pounds of food valued at more than $14,100. They have financially contributed nearly $8,000.

"We are humbled and inspired by the students, faculty and families who are a part of the Coeur d'Alene School District," Barnes said in a press release. "They deserve to be recognized for their generosity and efforts to help those who are struggling in the community. What a generous community we live in!"

Callister, who has been involved in local food drives for 14 years, said the goal of having his students participate in friendly fundraising competitions and food collection was to expose them to "kindness, giving and that type of service."

He said while teenagers tend to get a bad rap for being self-centered, "those same teenagers, given the right circumstances and opportunities, can be the most caring, most giving people that we have in our society.

"As a teacher, you get to see the highs and lows and you try to focus on those moments when the kids really get it," he said. "I can't think of a better way to learn leadership than service."