NATCHEZ &045;&045; The fruits of a service project just keep growing for members of the Cathedral High School key club.

Work earlier in the year to raise money for an orphanage in Indonesia devastated by the tsunami earned the club a tri-state honor recently.

The Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee conference awarded the CHS group with the Chris Holder Memorial Single Service Award for their efforts to raise $2,423.61.

The average high school bake sale for the disaster turned into a school-wide drive once the students received a visit from a volunteer at the orphanage.

&uot;Seeing how much we helped the kids (is what made us do it),&uot; club secretary Alana Malone said.

Key club members used natural class competition to start the drive for the most money.

The tsunami drive combined with several other fundraisers also earned the group the Distinguished Club Award at the conference, recognizing the group as one of the top 3 outstanding clubs in the tri-state district.

This year the club completed 24 service projects including selling bracelets to raise money for Relay for Life, raising money for Unicef and the Ronald McDonald House, cleaning and refurbishing the Natchez Children’s Home and working with Cathedral Elementary.

President Mary Kate Byrne said she started the year with a goal of increasing the amount of service projects members completed.

&uot;It paid off because we’ve served so many people,&uot; Byrne said.

The club officers said the projects have helped them realize how fortunate they really are.

&uot;If you have the opportunity, you feel you need to give,&uot; said freshman Joanna David, who will serve as vice president next year. &uot;It’s what Jesus told us to do and it gives you a warm feeling inside.&uot;

The students meet weekly during their lunch to plan projects and events. Once a month they meet at someone’s house.

&uot;It makes me feel less selfish,&uot; Treasurer Aisha Sanders said.

At the convention club member Grant Benoit was elected Lieutenant Governor of their division.

A group from the club attended the conference along with sponsor Vickie Malone and Kiwanis Club sponsors Judge John Hudson and John Ball.