Students at Guy B. Brown Elementary took up a food donation challenge leading up to the winter break.
And thanks to their competition, the school was able to make three large donations to local food banks just before the holidays.
From soup cans to coffee pods to cereal and snack cakes, the school was able to raise 2,865 food items for Flamborough Food Bank, Food With Grace and the Welcome Inn in downtown Hamilton.
Erika Freeman Cantin is an office administrator at Guy B. Brown and her daughter, Amelia, is a student in the Grade 8 class.
"We actually split it between a couple of food banks because we had such a successful drive," she said.
The donation to Food With Grace alone weighed in at 915 pounds of food.
Freeman Cantin said the classes at Guy B. Brown were split up into three groups: Kindergarten to Grade 2, Grade 3 to Grade 5 and Grade 6 to Grade 8. Each section was competing for a hot chocolate party.
Amelia, 13, said she thinks the hot chocolate party was a big motivation for the success of the food drive, but that was only part of the puzzle.
"I think one of the reasons why we got so much is because everyone was really excited to be able to help," she said.
Freeman Cantin said the food drive was a community effort, with many parents chipping in donations.
"It was a nice way for us to support our community," she said.
