Schools
Concord High School Students Repurpose Halloween To Help Local Families
A group of Concord High School students plan to trick-or-treat for food not candy as part of a philanthropic endeavor to feed local families.
Concord High School students will be trick-or-treating for food instead of candy this Halloween, collecting donations for the local food bank.
“Every once in a while one or two will dress up, but basically they will be in regular clothes,” said Gary McAdam, Ed.D, principal of Concord High School
“They will be wearing orange t-shirts that say ‘Scare Away Hunger,’” he added.
The phrase is a slogan of one of the school’s annual philanthropic initiatives that is in its third year. This year, 100 prominent members of the student body and teaching staff will form seven teams and drive to the ends of Concord to raise funds and find food.
“The purpose is to raise much needed funds and food for the Food Bank which currently serves approximately 149,000 people every month,” said Lisa Sherrill, community relations manager at the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano.
“Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery is supporting the event with volunteers, vehicles, and matching dollar for dollar funds collected or pounds of food donated, Sherrill added.
Some of the teams will retrieve bags that were placed on porches as donation stations prior to Halloween Day. Others will be going door-to-door and trick or treating like they’re in elementary school. The team that brings home the most pounds of food or donations wins bragging rights.
All the volunteers will return to the high school at 8:30 p.m. to weigh how much they've collected, and eat a dinner hosted by Tesoro Golden Eagle Refinery.
“When the kids come back, you think they’re coming back from a major sports game or band review, because they’re all excited,” Principal McAdam told Patch, noting that he hopes that they can host another event next year.
“It’s a great opportunity and we depend on our wonderful community to provide us with cans of food and donations,” McAdam said.
The volunteers gathered 6,619 pounds of food in 2011, along with $1,723 in financial donations, according to the food bank’s blog. In 2012, the event aggregated 10,256 pounds of food and $2,162.
The food will be given to needy families in the area.
Anyone who wants to donate to the cause can go to the school on Halloween Day between 5 and 8:30 p.m. Concord High School is located at 4200 Concord Blvd.
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