&uot;These kids are the heroes,&uot; said Lt. Bobby Westmoreland of the Salvation Army Friday afternoon.

Westmoreland accepted $1,175 in cash and approximately 3,000 canned goods from Cathedral School students in the school gymnasium.

&uot;Every year, it just gets better and better,&uot; Westmoreland said after a ceremony to present the canned goods and money.

High school students raised the cash in their annual &uot;Jeans for Green&uot; campaign.

For the charge of $1, the students are allowed to wear blue jeans rather than their regular uniform. &uot;The money will go toward buying Christmas presents for the children who aren’t adopted on the Angel Tree,&uot; Westmoreland said.

&uot;This year, the children received no special privileges for collecting the canned goods. They were told to just do it out of goodness of their heart and they raised about five times as much as last year,&uot; he said.

&uot;This year I was just so humbled by those kids.&uot;

On Dec. 20, the canned goods will be packed into food bags for the needy in four counties and three parishes, Westmoreland said.

&uot;They are great kids with great heart and great sense of community and I’m proud of them.&uot;