Schools in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows donated more than 11,000 pounds of food for the Friends in Need Food Bank in the past two weeks.
Since the beginning of the school year, they have collected more than 16,500 pounds, up from last year's total for the year of 15,135.
“This is an amazing accomplishment and we are so proud of the caring youth we have in our communities.” said Mary Robson, executive director of the food bank.
“We don’t like to pick winners, but I will say that Maple Ridge secondary collected the most for a total of 2,280 pounds.”
Since Aug. 1, the beginning of the food bank's fiscal year, donations have totalled 485,000 pounds – the same as the previous year.
What the food bank considers "backdoor donations, have totaled 57,500 pounds, up 27,000 from the previous year. Donations from schools make up close to 30 per cent of that total.
"The Friends in Need would like to thank all the schools, businesses, organizations and individuals who contributed to this year’s food drive," Robson said.