I.J. Holton Intermediate School students used T-shirts to fight .

A group of students that created and sold T-shirts to raise funds for cancer research presented a $607 donation on last week to representatives from The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota.

Gail Dennison, Director of Public Relations & Development, joined two scientists — Kelly Johnson and Ke Yao — from The Hormel Institute in accepting the gift from Holton students. All the funds will directly support cancer research focused on discoveries leading to the prevention and control the devastating disease.

Sixth-graders came up with the idea for creating a T-shirt as a cancer research fundraiser after visiting The Hormel Institute in January as part the Institute’s annual day of tours for all Austin sixth-graders. Fifth- and sixth-graders then worked under the direction of teacher Bill Kinney to select a shirt design, work with a local business to make the shirts and then sell them as a fundraiser.

Holton sixth-grader Berenice Avina Alvarado created the winning shirt design that features the phrase “Be Strong and Fight Cancer – Cancer Comes in Many Colors,” in reference to the array of colors that represent different types of cancer.

Earlier this year, Holton students donated $1,274 from a separate fundraising effort to benefit The Hormel Institute’s breast cancer research as part the fourth annual “Paint the Town Pink.”

With these gifts, The Hormel Institute will honor I.J. Holton School by adding a panel with its name to the Institute’s Donor Recognition Wall when it undergoes an annual update in June.