Brandy Ross didn’t mind standing in the cold asking passersby for food and money so another family could eat a Thanksgiving meal today.
“I was homeless for a year and a half, and my family used to get food baskets,” said Ross, 18, an Everett High School student. “That’s the main reason I did it – to help other people.”
Everett High’s annual food drive raises thousands of dollars and cans of food for charity. In previous years, graduating classes competed against each other to collect the most cans of food. But this year, all second-period classes were charged with raising $90 and 300 cans of food.
The change was made for logistical reasons. But the switch meant that more students participated, including those who often don’t identify with a graduating class because they are catching up on credits or are in special education.
“So it’s really been a community effort instead of this competitive ‘we’re going to kick your tail’ kind of thing,” said Bruce Overstreet, activities coordinator at the school.
Junior Jessica Johnson, 16, agreed: “This year people are doing it because they want to.”
Many classrooms went beyond the minimum – one raised more than $1,000 in 10 days – and in the end students raised $9,500 and collected 27,000 cans of food to benefit more than 70 families.
Each classroom was given a family to adopt by Volunteers of America. They decorated baskets of food and care items tailored to the families, then filled more boxes with milk, eggs, potatoes, ham, produce and other staples.
The care baskets and boxes were delivered in time for Thanksgiving dinner today. Food and money also were sent to a local food bank.
Andrea Scalici said she was happy her class of 35 special-needs students could take part. Her classmates collected enough food to feed two families, filling two plastic garbage bins topped off with handmade paper turkeys.
“A lot of our families themselves need help during the holidays, and even they gave. So it was really great, seeing everybody come together,” Scalici said.
Classrooms did compete for the best-decorated care basket on Tuesday. Alfy’s donated 120 personal pizzas for the winning groups.
In perhaps the most creative entry, an English class teamed with a special-needs class to create a train – a series of food-filled boxes linked together on rollers. A tape player provided the whistling and chugging.
“It’s been a wonderful project, and the family we adopted is so appreciative,” special education teacher Mary Woodley said as the students lined up for a photograph. “OK, 1-2-3, pizza!”
“It was a lot of work,” said one of her students, Nikita Coleman, 15. “But we did it.”
Reporter Melissa Slager: 425-339-3465 or mslager@heraldnet.com.
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