Food Fight!

By Donnie A. Lucas

The canned and non-perishable foods being collected by students at both the elementary and the secondary schools to benefit the local food bank is entering its final few days with the deadline set for Monday, Oct. 9.

Monday is a student holiday, but the campuses should be open for last-minute donations.

ResourceCare of Albany is hosting the 4th annual food drive contest for both the Albany and Cross Plains locations, with a Chick-fil-A lunch on the line for the winning classes in both towns.

Students are competing by grade level at each school.

Donation boxes at the junior/high school campus have been placed in specific rooms in order to collect donations by grade level.

Collecting canned goods at Nancy Smith Elementary got underway this week, with students asked to bring donations to their individual classrooms.

The school district that collects the highest number of non-perishable foods will be declared the overall winner, and the top class at both districts with the highest number of donations will be treated to the special lunch.

Donated food at both locations will remain in the respective community to stock local food banks operated by ResourceCare in those communities.

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 that came from the elementary campus.

Cross Plains won the overall title with 3,008 cans. In 2021 Cross Plains collected 5,694 cans, compared to Albany’s 889.