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Quad-Cities high school teens collect 346 tons of food
Originally Posted Online: Nov. 05, 2009, 9:48 pm
Last Updated: Nov. 05, 2009, 10:32 pm
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Print this story | Email this storyLast Updated: Nov. 05, 2009, 10:32 pm
By Laura Anderson, landerson@qconline.com
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MOLINE -- Hundreds of students from 19 area high schools gathered at the River Bend Foodbank Thursday night, surrounded by the 693,871 pounds of food they collected during this year's Student Food Drive. Brown boxes, filled to the brim with food, stood in gigantic stacks, leaving a few walkways and just enough space for people to party at the Student Food Drive Finale Rally. And there was plenty to celebrate. For the drive's 24th year, students brought in food valued at more than $1 million. According to drive organizers, the collection amounts to more than 692,600 meals that will be distributed through various River Bank feeding programs. "It was a lot of fun," Alleman High School junior Emily Hoogerwerf of Rock Island said of this year's drive, her second. "It feels good helping other people." For the second straight year, Alleman dominated the drive, passing last year's collection of 136,965 pounds for a total of 159,513 pounds this year. Ms. Hoogerwerf said it was good to know Alleman did as much as the larger schools, despite having fewer students. "It's super fun for an awesome cause," added Alleman junior Caroline Williams of Moline who said she enjoys seeing all the students from different schools come together for the same cause. "That doesn't happen too often," she said, laughing. "We work to help, (and) there's so many people who do need help,"Ms. Williams said. That work Thursday was replaced with play, as students danced, smiled and hung out with friends at the rally to celebrate their hard work. Alleman junior Reed Duyvejonck, Moline, and senior Alex DeWitte, Rock Island, were thrilled to learn their school again collected the most food. "I like helping," Mr. Duyvejonck said, noting the drive is "a good way to help. "I'm really happy; I'm glad our school could do this much work for the community." "It's amazing," said Mr. DeWitte. "It makes you feel good (collecting) all this food," especially knowing its recipients "don't have any other means of getting it." United Township High School also were winners Thursday, gathering 103,936 pounds of food. This is the fourth drive UT senior Mary Copeland of East Moline has participated in. "Ilove it, I have a blast in helping everyone," she said. "It's unexplainable; it makes me feel really good." Since the drives began in 1986, local students have collected a total of 12,885,025 pounds of food. 2009 Student Food Drive Winners: Division A (more than 1,251 students): United Township High School -- 103,936 pounds or 57.7 pounds per student. Division B (300 to 1,250 students): Alleman High School -- 159,513 pounds or 355.5 pounds per student. Division C (fewer than 300 students): Heritage Christian -- 8,216 pounds, or 1,643.2 pounds per student Most Creative Event: West High School, Davenport -- "Dinner in the Sky" on Davenport skybridge with food donated by area restaurants Most Improved Performance (per student): Division A, Moline High School, up 9.4 percent; Division B, Alleman High School, up 19.6 percent; Division C, Quad Cities Christian, up 82.6 percent 
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