As director of the French in Acton school, Cynthia Edelman is accustomed to receiving holiday presents from her students. By asking for charity donations in lieu of gifts, Edelman has raised a total of $6,725—including $2,000 of her own matching funds—over the past four years for the Massachusetts-Rhode Island chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Edelman selected the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in honor of two young relatives, 20-year-old nephew Paul and 13-year-old niece Olivia Brendel of Sewickley, Penn., who are living with the genetic disease, which causes thick mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive tract.

Donations from the most recent fund-raiser, which ran through last month, came from children and adult students of French in Acton and their families.

"Many teachers will tell you they're inundated with gifts at the holidays," Edelman said. "It really excites me to know that we are helping to improve and extend the lives of young people with cystic fibrosis."