Elijah Jacobsen and Joey Soevy took turns Wednesday wearing the Chili’s mascot costume.

It was for a good cause.

 The two students from Erin Steele’s leadership class at Stella Brockman School were helping out at the St. Jude Carnival.

“We both volunteered to wear the suit,” Jacobsen said. “We wore it with Chili’s pride.”

The annual event held in the multi-purpose building raised money for the Chili’s Create-A-Pepper Childhood Cancer campaign.

Last year, Stella Brockman students contributed $1,700 from the carnival benefitting the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“This was 100 percent of the proceeds at 25 cents per ticket (to play the carnival games),” Principal Candace Espinola said.

On the previous night, Chili’s Bar & Grill in Manteca hosted a “Give Back Night,” with 10 percent of the proceeds donated back to the school.

Amy Albrecht once again served as the organizer. For the fifth straight year, she coordinated efforts to include council and leadership students and volunteer Chili’s employees to work the various carnival booths and activities.

“It was fun,” said Nicole Brown, who has worked at the local restaurant for nearly three years. She spent the day face painting, with students rolling in during their morning and lunch time recesses.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures while saving youngsters with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.