For the month of February, the student council is holding a cereal drive for local food banks. This is an annual event that the student body participates in at the request of the food banks. 

“A local food bank representative reached out to us a few years ago and asked us to collect cereal to support the filling of the food bank in the month of February,” student council adviser Kimberly Shope said.

Each year, the cereal drive is said to be a success. Even in the years of the pandemic, people have still tried to help out with this cause. 

“We absolutely have had great results in the past years. Even up through and including 2019 and 2020, the years that COVID-19 hit and we shut down. We had just completed our cereal drive. We did have a cereal drive last year given the nature of having half the students in the building and half not, we did not do too bad. We are cautiously optimistic about what we might collect this year,”  Shope said.

All of the cereal goes to the local food banks. Food banks collect food and give it to the families in need. The cereal drive is a chance for the more fortunate people in the community to help out those in need. 

“As young people, you are able to help the people in your community. The one local food bank uses the theme of ‘Kids helping Kids’. We do have a large portion of our community who have suffered a bit due to so many economic changes because of COVID-19. Anything we can do to help them certainly is supportive and you should support your community,” Shope said. 

History teacher James Lowe, math teacher Joe Falger and gym teacher Thomas Palfey have all had incentives for students to bring in cereal to rack up the number of boxes for the food bank; bringing some fun and competition into the cereal drive. 

“My participation started about 10 years ago as a perfect way to teach students to give back to their community when they are able to do so. I’ve always felt that this is the perfect lesson; based on my life experiences of  people helping me out when I was receiving my transplant,” Lowe said. 

Lowe believes that his cereal drive has had significant success in the past. 

“In the 10 years, I’ve collected over 6000 boxes. My year with the highest total was 1400. The best, most surprising year was 2019. I wasn’t here during the month of the cereal drive, but the school did it in my name because I was out with my transplant. When I returned, they had the cereal in my room waiting for me. One of the students actually contacted the Wheaties company and had them make a box of cereal with my picture on it. Which, of course, I think is the coolest thing,” Lowe said.

Teachers all over the school participate in the cereal drive from year to year.

“Mr. Palfey and Mr. Lowe used to have a competition. Mr. Falger was also heavily involved in getting students to donate as well. Many, many teachers have been involved over the years in supporting us. We do throw out the information to the teachers and whether they encourage their students to bring it in as a class project or they just encourage their students to get involved in the community,” Shope said. 

Student council activities raise money for local charities or places in need of help. 

“One of the things the student council has always been involved in is service projects. It helps us develop leaders among our student body. When I spoke to the one representative, they said sometimes it kind of just hits people when you say that any amount is better than what they currently have. They are happy with anything we can collect. We look forward to students and teachers donating the cereal,” Shope said.