Students, Community Donate 385,141 Items To Local Food Pantry

Oswego IL

27 October, 2021

5:30 PM

Description

OSWEGO, IL — In another record-breaking effort, students at schools across Oswego School District 308 donated a total of 385,141 items and cash equivalents to the Kendall County Community Food Pantry during the 8th annual food drive that ran through Oct. 13. In a friendly competition, elementary, middle and high schools in the district competed to see who could donate the most items or cash. This year, Churchill Elementary School took home the top prize among all schools for donating an average of 77.29 items per student. Of junior high schools, Traughber Junior High won, donating 51.42 items per student. Oswego East High School raised the most items at the high school level, donating 13.36 items per student. Schools that earned the top spot in each division by collecting the most items per student in their building were awarded plaques at halftime during the Crosstown Challenge football game Oct. 15. When the district first started the food drive in 2014, altogether schools donated 58,000 items to the Kendall County Community Food Pantry. This year, every dollar donated was given equivalent credit for eight items toward their school's and the district's total. In its 8 years running, District 308's food drive has donated 1,187,520 items to the food pantry. RELATED: District 308's 8th Annual Food Drive Runs Through Oct. 13 "The food drive is used throughout the district as an opportunity for students to learn about hunger and food insecurities, and how important it is to be helpful to others in a time of need in a fun and competitive way between schools," school officials said in a news release. "Schools across the district used the food drive as a platform to teach valuable lessons, including how each of us individuals, when working together towards the same goal, can have a monumental impact on something we believe in." In the week leading up to the Crosstown Challenge football game — where Oswego High School won 38-14 against Oswego East High School — Spirit Week was hosted by Chick-fil-A, promoting some competition between the two schools. Sports boosters and cheerleaders decorated the Oswego location, where patrons designated votes for the school of choice while throughout the week. In the end, Oswego East came away the winner, and Chick-fil-A donated $1,000 to Oswego East and $500 to Oswego High. (For more news and information like this, subscribe to the Oswego Patch for free. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. Don't forget to like us on Facebook!)