Students at Putnam Valley Middle School collected over 1,400 food items during its annual food drive, benefitting the Putnam Valley community food pantry at Grace Methodist Church and the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown’s food pantry.
“My hopes and expectations of any event is that our families and students are willing to help those in need,” Travis McCarty, principal of PVMS, said. “I always say that no matter how little or how great the turnout is, we have helped our community. I am extremely proud of our students and families for their overwhelming donations.”
The food drive was sponsored by the PVMS student council, which turned the food drive into a contest, creating friendly competition between the students in grades five through eight. For each item donated, students received a ticket for a lottery—one student from each grade level winning a $10 Amazon gift card. The grade level that collected the most items also won Dunkin Donuts at lunch.
The student that donated the most items school-wide won a $20 Amazon gift card. This year, sixth-grader Abigail Kui was determined to win, donating a truckload of food, literally. Abigail’s father unloaded cases of canned goods, pasta, and ramen, as well as holiday staples like stuffing, instant mashed potatoes, gravy, and cornbread mix, totalling 352 items.
“My dad, when he was little, used to go to food banks to get food, so he wanted to give back,” Kui said.
The student council is led by eighth-graders Maria Argirou, president, and Grant Rosoff, vice president. The student council advisors are Sarah Reilly, ELA teacher, and Wanda Diaz, science teacher.