Students of Eastside High School won the New Jersey grand prize in Optimum Community’s Charity Champions Program securing $5,000 for their favorite charity.

The students were presented the large check at a ceremony in the media room of Eastside’s School of Government and Public Administration on Wednesday morning.

Students opted to hand over the funds to Eva’s Village, New Jersey’s largest anti-poverty organization based in Paterson.

The Charity Champions program is part of Cablevision’s Optimum Community initiative that encourages and rewards local high school students by helping them raise funds for a charity of their choice.