On Dec. 16, the food drive committee was stressed. There was only $6,607.70 raised after a week of collecting donations, nowhere near the goal of $30,000. The committee decided to rethink their goal for the school, believing $30,000 would be too unattainable, even though there was an agreement that if the goal was reached teachers would take pies to the face, Coach Ro would shave his beard, Mr. Sandstrom would shave his head, and Mr. Hougan would shave his infamous mustache. $25,000 became the new goal, with the prize of an ice cream party in the commons during Grizzly Period in January. Even with the new incentive, the food drive would still have to bring in $19,000 before Dec. 18, only three days away. It was at this point that GP was officially Failing The Food Drive.
The very next day, Tuesday, Dec. 17, donations would reach $21,000, absolutely skyrocketing the donation status and giving hope back to the committee. From there, donations continued until Dec. 18th. By the end of the food drive, the goal of $30,000 was exceeded with the final total (before donation matching) of $30,175.07, becoming the record for not only the most donated by Glacier Peak but also the most donated by a high school to the Maltby Food Bank.
The food bank urges those who need help to reach out. From setting up appointments for people to come in and get food, providing up to 50 backpacks of food for the weekend for elementary and middle schoolers, to purchasing a generator to work towards their goal of becoming an accessible safe place for people to go during storms that knock power out, the Maltby Food Bank is so much more than just a place that provides food for those who need it. In addition to helping with food access, the Maltby Food Bank has helped organize hundreds of hours for those who need service hours for graduation requirements, National Honors Society hours, and just as a way for people to help their community. “It’s just very heartwarming that people care,” Food Drive Coordinator Dianne said.
If you are in need or if you want to volunteer, you can find information here, on the Maltby Food Bank website. The food and money donated will be able to provide meals for hundreds of families and it wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of everyone involved. Thank you to everyone who donated and participated.