This month, the McGuffey Middle School Student Forum will kick off its annual food drive, and if past years are any indication, the competition is sure to be fierce.
Every year, the McGuffey Middle School Student Forum hosts a food drive to collect canned and boxed food for families in the community who are in need. This annual event gives students an opportunity to make a difference by helping provide food and support to local families.
For years, the very competitive Mrs. Salosky, a sixth-grade science teacher, has challenged other homerooms to see which class can collect the most canned goods. Her room’s domination of the drive has spanned all the years of recent memory.
That all changed last year when I discovered Mrs. Salosky’s secret weapon: candy! As a fellow sixth grade teacher, I received intel about “the bribery” and decided to fight fire with fire.
I announced I would also offer sweet inducements to my students to give their all during the contest. And just like that – the Great McGuffey Food Drive Rivalry was born.
The competition was intense, and the results were incredible. Together, the two homerooms collected more than 1,000 cans of food. Both classes earned an ice cream treat for their hard work, generosity, and dedication. While there may have been a friendly competition between the homerooms, everyone involved was a winner because the real goal was helping people in the community.
Ultimately, there was a new champion crowned – winning by ONE can!
After the food drive, all donated items were collected and given to Mrs. Cambruzzi, the Agricultural Science teacher and the head of the FFA. She stored the food in the middle and high school food pantries, and the items were made available to families in the community who were experiencing food insecurity.
Families in need of assistance can reach out to a school counselor or complete a Google Form located on the McGuffey School District website. This provides families with a way to request support from the school food pantry and access the resources they need.
What started as a little homeroom rivalry has turned into something much bigger—a chance for students to work together, have a little fun, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Hickory Galosky, Ella Lowe, Jamal Noll, Leanna Humphries, and Ashton Grice display the fruits of their labor during the Great McGuffey Food Drive
