ELMIRA, NY (WENY) --  Students at an Elmira Middle School are honoring their school's namesake by helping out others.

For the past two weeks, students at Ernie Davis Academy have been collecting food items during the "14 Days of Giving," all leading up to Ernie Davis' birthday, Friday, December 14th. School officials say they've identified 14 families in the school who could use a little extra help during the holidays, so the food will be donated to them. 

"We do the 14 days of giving, in honor of Ernie Davis' birthday on December 14th, so every year, the last two years, we've had students and staff bring in canned goods, boxed items for 14 families, in the Ernie Davis community," said Dean of Students, Jason Manwaring.


Manwaring says the school takes pride in using Davis' legacy to send the message of helping others, and be a good citizen both in school and in your community.