(Springfield, MO) -- They started back to school on Monday, but one Springfield class is already well on their way to completing a major assignment.

The fourth grade class at the Greenwood Laboratory School is learning about the importance of good penmanship, math and community service with one lesson.

The students are raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night walk. They already have several hundred dollars raised.

This is the ninth year their teacher, Shae Johnson, has organized this effort. During that time, her fundraising fourth graders have contributed more than $26,000 to the Society. That money helps local blood cancer patients and it funds cancer research.

Johnson says the lesson is very effective because students can relate to it.

"We've had some children here at Greenwood who have been affected by the disease," explained Johnson. "They have had friends, relatives and I had an aunt who passed away. It's a neat way to be part of the community. It's a good way to hand that down to my children. We've had offshoots of the fourth grade team at the high school level at times and it's kind of neat."

Johnson says a lot of her students come into fourth grade excited about the idea of raising more money than the last fourth grade class.

Teams are still forming for the Light the Night walk on October 4 starting at 6 p.m. on the south parking lot of Bass Pro Shops. A team can be made of any number of people. Some businesses are even competing against each other in fundraising for the event.

Click here for more information on how to become involved with Light the Night.