Carson Middle School classroom collects nearly 28,000 cans for needy

With just over a week to organize the effort, Hilary Briggeman's English class collected 27,978 cans of food to donate to FISH, setting a new record and capturing Carson Middle School's coveted canned food trophy.

"I just got the kids really motivated about it," Briggeman said. "I've never seen the generosity like I did this year."

During Tuesday's school board meeting, Monte Fast, executive director of Friends in Service Helping, presented awards to the schools that collected the most cans.

"This is our major food resource of the year," Fast said. "This is when we fill up our food bank."

Together the schools donated 84,713 cans. More than half of them were gathered by Carson Middle School students who collected 55,049.

Briggeman's eighth-graders competed with eighth-graders in Ananda Campbell's class to see who could collect the most cans.

"It's a huge competition," Briggeman said. "It really pumps the kids up."

For each 100 cans collected in a classroom, that teachers name was entered into a drawing for a trip to Hawaii. Briggeman's name was drawn at the board meeting.

Students solicited local businesses for donations, sat in front of grocery stores and brought in money and canned food from home.

"They went above and beyond," Briggeman said. "It was all on their own time."

The drive kicked off Oct. 18 and less than a week later Briggeman's students had collected $3,000. Briggeman took the money to the Grocery Outlet where she was given a 10 percent discount on all of her purchases.

"The Grocery Outlet worked with all the teachers," she said. "They were really awesome about it."

The drive ended Oct. 26 and by that time, Briggeman's classroom was full.

"On the last day, the kids couldn't see the board because the cans were so high," she said. "They almost reached the ceiling."

Campbell's class collected nearly 20,000 cans.

Campbell and Briggeman selected the top five collectors from each of their classes and took them out to dinner.

The schools were rewarded also.

Fast presented Carson Middle School with $600 and Eagle Valley Middle School with $400.

Fritsch Elementary received $400, Bordewich-Bray received $300, Fremont received $200 and Seeliger received $100.

Each of the parochial schools received $100.

The cash awards were donated by A&W Family Restaurant and by GOT-A-B'Zz Pizza & Cafe.

The donated food will go to fill Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets and stock FISH's food closet. FISH also donates canned food to organizations, including Carson City Senior Center, Advocates to End Domestic Violence and the Community Chest in Virginia Center.

Also at the meeting:

-- Superintendent Jim Parry said the first $9 million of the $18 million school bond will be sold Jan. 16 to the lowest investment broker. He said the current rate is 5.03 percent.

-- A board meeting will be held to approve the amended budget on Dec. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the school district office.

-- The next regularly scheduled board meeting will be Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Carson City Community Center.

If you go:

What: Meeting to approve the amended budget

When: 5:30 p.m. Dec. 21

Where: Carson City School District Office, 1402 W. King Street