The annual canned food drive raised $3,000 more than last year, due in part, to a new method of publicizing the standings of the competition between classes. A standings chart was displayed on a poster on the library window, and the places and top can totals were announced over the loudspeaker throughout the drive.

While there had been concern that Thanksgiving break, which fell in the middle of the collection dates, would stall momentum, Leadership teacher Lindsay Webb-Peploe reported that the standings chart kept the collection rate high.

To increase “increase incentive,” prizes were offered to classes that collected the most cans, said junior Lars Ahrens, ASB Commissioner of Philanthropy. The classes with the highest can count and the highest can-to-student ratio were awarded with pizza parties.

Classes that reached 1,000 cans won candy. Those that reached 1,500 received baked goods, and those that reached 2,000 cans won ice cream sundaes. Leadership chose to do this “to acknowledge that even to get to 1000 cans is actually quite a significant donation for a class, and to be able to reward them for coming together and donate that,” Webb-Peploe said.

Leadership officers visited 5th period classes regularly during the drive to solicit donations, which could be in the form of canned food, cash or checks. Since the food bank gets better deals on fresh produce, Leadership encouraged cash or check donations rather than actual canned goods; for the purposes of the can count, $1 was equivalent to 3 cans.

Leadership had hoped to collect the equivalent of 50,000 cans, though the school collected only 42,000.

AP Psychology teacher Steven Dyer’s 5th period class won the campus-wide competition, collecting over 3,000 cans. Senior Amy Flett made large contributions to the drive on behalf of Dyer’s class. “I was inspired to donate to the canned food drive because of my Christian values. As a Christian I like to donate as much time and money as possible to places that are in need of a helping hand,” said Flett.

Flett commended her class’ collective effort. “My class worked extremely hard to ask their relatives, friends, and family and all made huge contributions to the drive. I knew that I had many connections in my life who would be willing to help with a good cause so I reached out and many were luckily willing to donate,” she said.

Flett added that Dyer had a large impact on her class’ success. “With his enthusiasm and effort into the drive, it made our class want to participate even more. He put it on School Loop as a reminder for people to donate, which was a huge help. A lot of the little things, like how everyone cheered and supported each other for donating, added up to us all working hard and winning,” she said.

“I think every year is a success, but we did raise 1000 cans [or $3,000] more so I think that’s really good and almost 42,000. Thank you to everybody who donated,” said Webb-Peploe.