Kids Helping Kids is an entirely student run 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based out of the San Marcos High School AP Economics classes in Santa Barbara, California. Headed by Economics teachers Jamie DeVries and Jillian Wilber, Kids Helping Kids originally began with a student-run penny drive in 2002 and has evolved into an annual signature gala event at the Santa Barbara multimillion-dollar Granada Theater. Over the course of fifteen years, students have volunteered over 10,000 hours of work, resulting in a gross of $2,200,000 raised for children in need throughout the community and abroad. The Kids Helping Kids mission statement reads: "Empowered students making a difference from the classroom to the community."