Classes challenged to bring food
By Donnie A. Lucas
Donations of canned and non-perishable food items are currently being collected by students at both the elementary and the secondary schools as part of a competition that will benefit the local food bank.
ResourceCare is hosting the 4th annual food drive contest for the Albany and Cross Plains locations, with a Chick-Fil-A lunch on the line for the winning class in both towns.
The contest will continue through Monday, Oct. 9, with students competing by grade level at both schools.
Donation boxes at the junior/high school campus have been placed in specific rooms in order to collect donations by grade level.
As of Tuesday, the elementary had not yet set up a collection system, but is expected to later this week.
The school district that collects the highest number of non-perishable foods with be declared the overall winner, and the top class at each district with the highest number of donations treated to the special lunch.
Donated food at both locations will remain in the respective community to stock local food banks operated by ResourceCare.
Cross Plains ISD has won the title the last three years.
The overall winner will be announced at the Albany vs. Cross Plains football game on Oct. 13 in Cross Plains. The top class will be announced earlier that day at each school’s respective pep rally.
Last year Albany’s first grade class won locally with 323 cans collected, and Jennifer Marshall’s classes at high school placed second with 204 cans.
Albany’s total in 2022 was 1,437 cans, including 1,001 coming from the elementary campus.
Cross Plains won the overall competition with 3,008 cans. In 2021 Cross Plains collected 5,694 cans, compared to Albany’s 889.
“The food collected goes into each school’s community food bank to help feed over 80 families,” ResourceCare employee Ragan Riley said. “ResourceCare loves doing this competition because the kids are helping make a difference in their respective communities.”
Public donations will be accepted at both local campuses and at the ResourceCare front desk. Donors should designate the class they are donating for.
Students can also bring canned goods to the school to donate in their classrooms.
