When York College (New York) hosted its NYSP camp this summer, participants thought of a unique way to thank members of a remote Kenyan village that had given a unique gift to the people of New York City.

After the September 11 terrorist attacks last year, a group of Kenyans donated 14 head of cattle to the United States as a show of sympathy. The cattle, a sacred possession of the Masai tribe in Kenya, were presented to officials at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, where they were later sold in Kenya. The money was used to buy Masai jewelry to be sent to the United States.

Jessica Cherry, activity director for York's NYSP camp, and York basketball coach Ronald St. John, who directed the camp, knew how much the gift meant to the Kenyans. When they told the 327 camp participants about the gesture, the kids felt the same way.

Kenyan resident Kimeli Naiyoman, who happened to be in New York September 11, was flown in along with Tom Amolo, deputy Kenyan ambassador to the United States, for a ceremony in which the NYSP campers presented teddy bears, stuffed animals, bibles, sports equipment, clothing and toys -- possessions the kids had held dear to their hearts. Each gift came with a note that told of the gift's importance to the camper.

"It was a collective decision that, since cattle was so much a part of Masai life, that the children should donate something that was special to them," Cherry told the New York Daily News.

York Athletics Director Linda Barley said the gesture fit values the NYSP espouses. "The children responded generously, and from the heart," she said. "Being able to care about others, that is what makes a well-rounded citizen."