To help raise money to give local families a happy holiday, Nashua High School South senior Derin Josephson, 17, has organized an ice-skating excursion for her peers at nearby Conway Arena to benefit The Santa Fund.

This will be Derin’s second time organizing an ice-skating fundraiser, the first coming out of an economics assignment two years ago.

"We were told to create a small business, and I decided to create a charity through my connections (at Conway Arena)," she said, adding she used to practice figure skating at the facility.

The previous event, "Skating for Soldiers," benefited the Wounded Warriors project and raised more than $2,000. "My father is in the military so the cause was very close to me," she said.

The two-day fundraiser attracted nearly 100 students each day.

"This year, as a senior, I am going to do the same thing except I am choosing to donate the money to the local cause, The Santa Fund," Derin said.

The Santa Fund is an annual donation drive for bringing gifts and toys to local children in need.

The total number of students who can participate will be limited to about 80-100 due to the number of skates available, but Derin said she is hoping for a good turnout.

"It’s open to anyone, but they have to have blocks one and two teachers sign off to be able to go," she said.

The event is scheduled for 8-10 a.m., Monday, Dec. 21, at Conway Arena.

While her last fundraiser was a graded school project, she said this one was more "for fun."

Derin has joined other charity drives in the past, including three years of Relay for Life and the Penguin Plunge. The plunge has students and faculty from schools around the state jump in the ocean at Hampton Beach to raise money for the Special Olympics.

"Last year was the first time for the Penguin Plunge, and it was the coldest one ever," she said. She plans to join the next one in February.

The Santa Fund is a long-running tradition at the Nashua Telegraph, bringing toys and donations to local children and families during the holiday season. The paper partners with The Salvation Army and The Front Door Agency to collect and distribute donations.

Anyone interested in donating can send a check to "The Telegraph Santa Fund," to the Telegraph office at 17 Executive Drive, Hudson, NH, 03051. New unwrapped toy and clothing donations can also be dropped off at the Telegraph office in Hudson between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

For a full list of drop off locations in the Nashua area, and a list of 2015 Santa Fund contributors, visit www.nashuatelegraph.com/santafund.

Tina Forbes can be reached at 594-6402, tforbes@nashuatelegraph. com or @Telegraph_TinaF.