Secondary Schools Unite for the 7th Annual Food Drive

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Story provided by Chelsea Isenor, Director of Communications and Board Administration

For the past several weeks, four Kamloops secondary schools have turned friendly rivalry into meaningful community impact by collecting thousands of pounds of food to support the Kamloops Food Bank and raise awareness about food insecurity in our community.

Students and staff at Valleyview, Westsyde, Sa-Hali, and South Kamloops secondary schools joined forces for the 7th Annual Secondary School Food Drive. What started as a student capstone project 7 years ago has turned into an annual food drive that has made a significant impact on our community by helping families in need during the holiday season.  

Beyond the competition, this food drive is a rewarding and powerful learning experience. By focusing on giving back and exploring the realities of food insecurity, students are reminded of the importance of community, how much they are grateful for, and that every contribution, no matter the size, matters and makes a difference.

On Thursday, December 11, the Kamloops Food Bank visited each school to pick up and weigh their total food drive donations. This year, all four schools combined donated 4,916 pounds of food (beating last year’s total of 3,217 pounds), which is the equivalent of $17,900 worth of food.

To ensure a fair competition between schools, the winner each year is determined by donations per student. This year’s winner was Westsyde Secondary School who collected a total of 1,729 pounds of food which equaled 2.25 pounds per student. Valleyview Secondary came in second, collecting a total of 2,054 pounds of food donations (1.76 pounds per student), while Sa-Hali Secondary (468 pounds) and South Kamloops Secondary (669 pounds) also collected a significant amount of food donations.

The Annual Secondary Food Drive is more than just a friendly competition—it is a reflection of SD73’s commitment community, connections, and District's core value of Equity. By working together, students are removing barriers throughout our community and contributing to a diverse, inclusive, caring, and sustainable society.