Canned food drive challenges campus to fill the bus

The annual canned food drive has long been depleting the pantries of students’ homes in the fall. This endeavour has been going on since Nov. 4 and the deadline to bring cans to school is the Nov. 25. The goal this year is to fill an entire school bus. This gives the student body, and anyone else who might want to know, not only a chance to find out just how many cans it takes to occupy a school bus, but also a way to help out the local community.

“Last year is going to be hard to beat,” student council sponsor Julie Jameson said. “I hope we do have a good turn out.”

Last year the high school alone raised over five and a half thousand cans in the competition against rival Andrews. Seminole came out on top with donations from all the SISD campuses together with the total of 12,945 cans (13,020 after late additions). The top shelf numbers from last year put pressure on the high school students to bring in the canned foods to their second period classes.

The drive will benefit the local Bob Lewis Mission. StuCo is raffling three $50 gift cards. People can enter a ticket in the raffle automatically by bringing 20 cans to second period. Ramon noodles count as half a can, peanut butter equals three cans, and restaurant-sized cans equal four cans. The winners will be announced sometime after the canned food drive is finished.

The drive goes beyond winning a gift card or filling a bus.

“I feel that since I have been blessed,” junior Haylie Hicks said. “I need to help out those who aren’t as blessed as I have been.”

Students can use use their blessings to aid those in need.

“The canned food drive is important,” junior Kelby Miller said. “I think I can help people in need of food.”

People out of school in the community may donate as well.

“For sure [anyone can help with filling the bus],” Jameson said. “Just drop off the cans in the front office in any of the school campuses.”