Egan has seven students in first, second and third grade in her class this summer at Martin Avenue Elementary School. She explained to them that all Danny wanted for his birthday were cards rather than toys, and that they could help make his wish come true.

Every student in all seven classes in the district made a card for Nickerson. Egan noted that they benefitted from the activity, as they were able to practice writing, cutting out clip art she printed for them to design the cards, as well as learning lessons about gift-giving etiquette and compassion.

Egan, who has been teaching in North Bellmore for seven years, said this is not the first time she organized a charitable initiative for her classes. In 2010, her special education students at the former Jacob Gunther Elementary School collected socks for soldiers during the holiday season; the project culminated with a sock-hop event.

“These children have special needs, but there are so many ways that they can give back to others,” she said. “We all face challenges, but we’re still capable of giving back in some kind of way to our community.”

Carley Nickerson wrote on “Danny’s Warriors” that, as of Aug. 3, the family received more than 250,000 cards, adding that they are still receiving mail from around the world. Egan said she saw follow-up stories about the arrival of the mail on television, and cried while realizing that so many people took the time to make the boy’s birthday exciting.

North Bellmore students were shown news videos about the mail deliveries. For the faculty, it was exciting to see the children realize they played a part in the birthday surprise.

“I don’t think the students understood the capacity of it all, and just how many cards Danny received,” Egan said. “But they were able to see him in the back of a van with crates and make the connection. It was very fulfilling and rewarding.”

The North Bellmore School District takes in students from North Bellmore and part of North Merrick.