This semester at Colonia High School has been jam packed full of different collection and toy drives. Thus far, there has been a food drive, coat drive, and toy drive.
The Interact Club helped to feed 144 families for Thanksgiving by supporting the St. James Food Pantry. They also collected over 300 coats to help keep families in need warm this winter.
The various drives and collections have been quite successful. Classes compete against each other to come out on top. Classes who collect the most are rewarded with a pre-determined prize. With the support of Buffalo Wild Wings and Dominic’s Restaurant offering free lunches and breakfasts, students are motivated to help.
The Toys for Tots Battle of the blocks started Monday, December 7 th and ran through the week. Last year, with Mr. Jason Prusik, math teacher, Mr. Daniel Hutchinson, Gifted and Talented as well as English teacher, and Mr. Drew Biri, history teacher battling it out all week, the toy drive was eventful.
Mrs. Linda Brennan, Interact Club adviser, is in charge of all the various drives. Brennan with the help of different students wheeled around a giant cart to collect the toys every day during Block 3. As the toy drive heated up last year, Biri, Prusik, and Hutch often filled the cart with toys from their own classes respectively.
With the big rivalry last year, over 1,000 toys were collected. The Declaration wrote an article about it, which won a Best of SNO publication. A Best of SNO is an award reporters can receive by the Declaration’s host site, School Newspapers Online. With there being 1,884 high schools submitting articles to Best of SNO, it isn’t easy to be selected for publication.
“I’m hoping the toy drive will be as successful. Once again, Buffalo Wild Wings will provide a free all-you-can eat buffet lunch to the class that collects the most toys. Students are eagerly and enthusiastically participating,” said Brennan about the success she is hoping for this year.
There have been quite a few drives in a short amount of time, which may affect the participation for some students. However, Brennan knows the CHS community is quite generous and motivated to help others. “Hopefully, the more students realize the positive impact that they can have on others, the more they may want to help. Quite frankly, it’s a great feeling knowing you have made a difference in the lives of those less fortunate,” she stated.
Brennan is also confident the toy drive will have great results. She is a firm believer that positive thinking creates positive energy and of course, positive energy helps to motivate others.
Biri’s class is always a class to look out for. He is great at getting his class together and makes a great effort for the win. Last year, his class placed 3rd and although he didn’t get to take his class to Buffalo Wild Wings, they were still rewarded for their generosity.
This year Biri is back but will he come out on top? Monday and Tuesday his name wasn’t even on the leaderboard. Biri dramatically states, “I look at it as a track meet, we’re the block that is conserving our energy to the point where the leaders won’t see us coming. Then in the final straight way, we open up our strides and we push for the finish line and we will succeed as I always succeed. Just wait until Friday.”
Hutch also has a third block but hasn’t been seen on the leaderboard. Prusik, however, does not have a third block so he is not in the running. Who will come out victorious?
