Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows schools raise thousands for local food bank

Students in the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows school district raised almost 13,000 pounds of food for the Friends In Need Food Bank and thousands in cash before breaking for the winter holidays.

In total schools across the district collected 12,993 pounds of non-perishable food.

Students from Kanaka Creek elementary raised more than 3,200 pounds of non-perishable food and Maple Ridge secondary raised more than 1,400 pounds.

And between October and December schools also raised $5,134 in cash as well for the local charity.

“Last year there was very little,” said the food bank’s executive director Mary Robson about food drives and fundraisers in general.

“They are back,” she exclaimed. “There will be more between now and the end of the school year.”

On the last day of school before the winter break, classes at Kanaka Creek did a final count of non-perishable food items for a pizza lunch contest. The winner was Tanya Smith’s Grade 2/3 class with 540 items of food.

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The total amount raised at the school was 3,246 pounds.

And students at Maple Ridge secondary collected 1,405 food items and raised $2,156.10 at their annual MRSS Drive-Thru Food Drive mid-December.

Any of the funds raised by the schools will go directly to support the school meal snack program, said Robson.

“The cost of the program is now running about $9,000 per month. Or $90,000 for the school year,” she noted.

To donate to the Friends In Need Food Bank go to friendsneedfood.com.