One hundred local families will be able to enjoy a full Thanksgiving dinner, thanks to the generosity of the local community. The annual Thanksgiving Food Drive has been a tradition at the Monticello High School for more than 30 years. In fact, it is the oldest continuous tradition at the school. In the weeks leading up to the food drive, classrooms competed against one another for the largest donation, ultimately raising a grand total of $5,231. On Tuesday, Nov. 22, the school held an assembly to announce the winning teams, and to show off the fruits of their labor.
With a mountain of donated food as a backdrop, the food drive committee chairs took turns sharing the history of the food drive and their experiences participating in the event. They shared the history of the food drive and their experiences participating in the event, before announcing the top donors.
The winners were as follows:
From A Day:
First place: Mr. Maranzana’s class, with a total of $140.94
Second place: Mrs. Alvarez’s class , with a grand total of $104.15
Third place: Mr. Jenks’ class, with a grand total of $100.70
From B Day:
First place (and grand prize winner): Mrs. Grote’s class, with a record total of $1,426.87
Second place: Mr. Maranzana’s class, with a total of $1,250.30
Third place: Mrs. Schombs sophomore English class, with a total of $322.54, helping 5 families
All winning classes received a box of blow pops, with the grand prize winner earning a free breakfast cooked by the school’s administrative team. The total amount raised was $5,230.78.
The students also took time to recognize English teacher Karen Collura, who has managed the drive for the last decade and has assisted with the drive for even longer. This will be the last year under Ms. Collura’s tutelage, as she is retiring, and the students thanked her for all of her work and dedication.
After the assembly, the students on the food drive committee worked to assemble the baskets and hand deliver them to the recipients. Each basket contained a turkey, potatoes, pumpkin pie, peas, corn, green beans, cranberry sauce, yams, fresh rolls, stuffing and gravy. In addition, families received a can opener and cooking tin for the turkey.
“Whether you just moved to Monticello or have been in this school district since pre-school you understand the struggle within our community,” Food Drive Chair Harly Taylor said. “It’s hard for most of us to fathom not having food on Thanksgiving but unfortunately, it is a reality for some. I wish I could take back every complaint and realize that this event is so much bigger than me. We should all be proud of what our food drive has accomplished this year.”