Utica High School's Key Club has helped to warm up the holidays for several area families.

The UHS service group recently used proceeds from a bake sale to buy, stitch together and donate blankets to Project Linus.

The donation is one of a series of year-long service project UHS students sponsor to give back to their community.

"It is important to make a difference, no matter how big or small," said Key Club member Mairi Thomson Clow.

Clow spearheaded the blanket project at UHS, shopping on Black Friday to ensure students were able to get the best deal for the $300 they raised through a schoolwide bake sale.

Students recently met after school to stitch together the blankets, which were then donated to Project Linus.

Project Linus is a non-profit volunteer organization that provides blankets and comfort to children who are seriously ill.

Other projects coordinated by the UHS club include clothing drives, canned food drives, and volunteering at nursing homes and with the Shelby Kiwanis.