Stratford students have been ringing in the holiday season by volunteering for the Salvation Army kettle in front of the Zebulon Road.

About 30 students (and a faculty member) have either already participated or signed up to ring the bell, an annual Christmas tradition for the Salvation Army from Thanksgiving to Christmas for more than 125 years. Stratford upper school students are required to have 75 volunteer hours by the time they graduate — 20 hours as freshmen, sophomore and juniors, and 15 as seniors.

Stratford’s bell ringers are AnaGrace Ballard, Meg Griffin, Mary Oren, Jensen Bowden, Lily Howe, Trey Tharpe, Jacob Burke, George Dunwody, Claire Rinehart, Julianna Hightower, Daniella Chrabuszcz, Lucy Lee, Emily Sheridan, Robert Stone, Tyler Jordan, Jaylan Hughes, Tori Dover, Ashlin Jackson, Leah Davis, Cherish Jones, Michelle Fleming, Chandler Fleming, Anaya Thomas, Bhavin Patel, Carolynn Dromsky, Kaylee Jellum, Emily Claire Fussell and Bella Gill.

Last year, the Salvation Army raised more than $144 million nationally to fund programs to help the less fortunate.