April 24, 2024

De La Salle students, faculty collect 3,201 cans for Thanksgiving Food Drive for Second Harvest

January 15, 2016 Special to the Herald-Guide Lifestyles, School, Social

On a Dress-Down Day prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, the top five winners of the De La Salle H.S. Food Drive gather in front of a small portion of the boxes of food the school gathered for Second Harvest Food Bank. They are (first row) Kacey Guichard and Semaj Lewis; and (second row) Anna Jones, Hunter Pulizzano and Gustavo De Paiva.

Under the direction of Peggy St. John, AFSC, the De La Salle annual Thanksgiving Food Drive collected a total of 3,201 food items for Second Harvest Food Bank.

“I was so pleased,” St. John said, “as we had hoped for 1,234 items, and we more than doubled our goal.” She added, “The students truly enjoyed the competition and were tweeting out reminders to other students to bring cans.”

The class and faculty donation percentages (based on number of cans expected and those actually donated) included Eighth grade – 233 percent, freshmen – 349.2 percent, sophomores – 305.6 percent, juniors – 174.4 percent, seniors – 205.2 percent, and faculty and staff – 260 percent.

“One student told me that it doesn’t really matter which level wins because we all have won as a school in helping feed those in need,” St. John said. “I thought that was such a great statement. It shows that we are teaching that service to others is part of our Lasallian mission.”

Part of the Lasallian mission extended to Hope House, where Director Don Everard received 14 cartons of food from the drive from St. John and Warren Caire, AFSC.

A former Christian Brother and De La Salle faculty member, Everard said, “It was a pleasant surprise when Miss St. John and Dr. Caire dropped by with the food, but very grateful for that continuing Lasallian link even though I’ve been gone from the school for years.”

Winning the competition, the freshmen class reached 349.2 percent of their goal, earning a Dress-Down Day and early lunch.

Individual winners included in first place freshman Hunter Pulizzano, followed in second place by sophomore Gustavo De Paiva, in third place senior Semaj Lewis, with a tie for fourth place between eighth-grader Kacey Guichard and junior Anna Jones.

Shortly after the conclusion of the food drive, St. John was notified by Michelle Rosamond, volunteer services coordinator of Second Harvest, that De La Salle was one of the top five schools in their Holiday Food & Fund Drive.

St. John said, “We ended the food drive before Thanksgiving break. Imagine how much more we could have done if we’d gone through Christmas.”