Students at seven high school begin food drive competition

People are hungry. High schoolers want to help.

Students from seven area high schools will kick off a food drive competition for the Southeast Missouri Food Bank today. About 100 students from participating high school organizations will kick off the event with a party tonight.

Students from the Missouri schools -- Eagle Ridge Christian School, Malden High School, Notre Dame Regional High School, Oak Ridge High School, Oran High School, Sikeston High School and St. Vincent de Paul High School -- will be collecting food for six weeks.

Four cash prizes, two for $1,000 and two for $500, will be awarded according to poundage, said Amanda Pratt, development director at the food bank. The total pounds will be divided by the number of students enrolled in the school. There will also be two categories for larger and smaller schools.

The group that organizes the most creative event will also receive $1,000, she said.

"We want them to get as many kids as possible involved," Pratt said.

She said she hopes to make the food drive an annual event with more participation from schools in the food bank's 16 county service area.

"Next year we hope to be able to build on what we've done this year," she said.

At Oak Ridge, members of the Future Career and Community Leaders of America will be organizing the drive.

The group's president, Morgan Newell, said she helped organize an event that donated 300 cans for the local food pantry last year.

"You definitely need to have a strategy and plan right off the bat," she said.

She said the group will get the entire school involved and will be targeting parents during parent teacher conferences.

Newell, a senior, said she expects the state of the economy will also pose challenges.

"It's really hard for some people to give right now just because they're trying to support themselves, too," she said.

The FCCLA will also be organizing the event at Oran High School. President Claire Seyer said the group will trick or treat for canned goods, an annual event during Halloween.

"Be prepared for guys and girls from FCCLA walking around in frilly costumes," said Seyer, a senior. "Don't be scared, we're just looking for cans."

The group will also organize other activities to get students involved in the drive. She said she hopes students will be more motivated because they are competing against other schools.

Jill Siebert, the FCCLA adviser at Oran, said the students are service-minded when it comes to their town. The competition, she said, will expand the scope of their work.

"Instead of focusing more at our own community, it's kind of made our kids look more at the greater region of Southeast Missouri," she said.

abusch@semissourian.com

388-3627

Pertinent address:

3920 Nash Road Cape Girardeau, MO