Quad-Cities students provide 787,000 meals through 2024 Student Hunger Drive
Students from 16 Quad-Cities area high schools celebrated the culmination of the 38th annual Student Hunger Drive on Thursday with a pizza party and the naming of the winning schools at the River Bend Food Bank's 2024 Finale Rally.
Participating schools raised enough food this year to provide 787,186 meals to people in the food bank's 23-county service area. That number is 3.8% less than last year's total of 818,468 meals.
Participating high schools work with River Bend and their district's feeder elementary and middle schools to food/fundraise from Sept. 30 to Nov. 7, but students also organize unique incentives for their peers.
United Township High School, for example, hosted "Pie a Teacher" on Nov. 1, where students could donate 50 cans or pay $25 to throw a pie at a teacher during their lunch period. Some teachers at Assumption High School give extra credit for Student Hunger Drive donations, and the school holds its annual "Penny Wars" fundraiser. Here, each grade competes to collect the most pennies for the privilege of being dismissed for lunch first this week.
"We're last this week, which kind of stinks," Assumption senior John O'Brien said. "But that also means we got a lot of (donations) we could use to buy cans."
One of Moline High School's fundraisers is "Moliween," where elementary students and families can trick-or-treat and play Halloween-themed games at the school. Admission to the event is nonperishable food items or a cash donation to the Student Hunger Drive.
Erin Bull, a Moline senior in the Interact Club — which leads most Student Hunger Drive activities — said she wishes she got involved sooner.
"I didn't participate much in this event last year, because (of) work ... but it's been a really good experience," she said, adding Student Hunger Drive inspired her to pursue similar clubs or volunteer groups in college.
While she was new this year, Bull said the Student Hunger Drive has "definitely" had an impact on her.
"I've learned a lot, and I've developed as a person," Bull said. "If I knew more about it freshman year, I would have jumped at (joining), because it's for a really good cause."
Participating students also learned about volunteerism and food insecurity.
O'Brien said Student Hunger Drive is a "great way" for area students to dip their feet in community service, while learning about what he said was an "overlooked" issue in the Quad-Cities.
"By making people more aware of these issues, it can help them see past their own community and how (food insecurity) affects all of the Quad-Cities," O'Brien said. "Which is important."
Bull said she didn't know how many Quad-Cities food pantries operate until joining Student Hunger Drive this year, nor had she been to River Bend.
"It taught me a lot ... I've become really passionate about (collecting) for the food bank," she said.
Bettendorf High School junior John Rowe also joined his school's Student Hunger Drive committee this year, because he wanted to "give back to people." While participants do just that, he also noted other takeaways from the experience.
"This has really helped me get out of my shell," Rowe said. "I've been a lot better at being a leader."
At Thursday's Loading Day — where schools drop off their total Student Hunger Drive collection to River Bend's warehouse — he said he "got to shine" as a leader among his peers.
"Which I've never (felt) before," Rowe said. "I think that's really good for me."
Echoing much of his experience, Bull said she's also enjoyed forming new relationships with Moline students, faculty and staff and other area students.
"I've gotten more social," she said. "I just feel like I've developed a lot of skills within my time in this club."
Since the Student Hunger Drive last just six to eight weeks each year, many students join while participating in, or as part of, other organizations.
"A lot of kids do this to prepare for student council or Sigma Alpha Delta," said Katherine Walsh, a freshman at Alleman High School.
Student Hunger Drive also counts towards Alleman's required 150 service hours, she said.
"This is a great way for us to go out into (the community), collect for those in need and get hours for it," Walsh said.
She first started collecting for the Student Hunger Drive in middle school, giving her a "feel" for it at the high school-level.
"There are a lot more events in high school than there were in middle school," Walsh said, adding it's been a good, inclusive experience overall.
Student Hunger Drive teams not only aim to collect the most food, but they also focus on gathering nutritious options and shareable items.
Pete Pohlmann, the former owner of Lujak's in Davenport and one of the co-founders of the Student Hunger Drive, was on hand to participate in the award presentations.
Pohlmann told about 70 students attending the finale that during the 38 years the Student Hunger Drive has been in existence, the students have provided more than 19 million meals.
The idea behind the drive was to take the rivalries between the schools and turn it into a time of fun and teamwork.
Pohlmann said the hunger drive was created to serve two purposes: provide food for the hungry and provide people the opportunity to volunteer. For many people, the Student Hunger Drive was their first experience in volunteering.
The students also work toward a collective goal, even though they are competing at the same time.
"We're not looking at the individual schools," said Rachel Grewe, educational programs coordinator at River Bend. "It's about what they can do collectively, for the community."
And each year, Quad-Cities area students prove they're up for the task.
"Our largest food drive in the Quad-Cities is run by students," Grewe added. "They come back and 'bring it' again and again."
This year's winning schools are:
Division A:
Division B:
Division C:
Pleasant Valley High School was titled the 2024 "Mission Challenge Winner," awarded to the school that best exemplifies River Bend's mission.
The award for Most Improved went to North Scott High School, while Moline High School won the skit competition.
Images from 2024 Student Hunger Drive finale party and loading dayThe 38th annual Student Hunger Drive came to a close Thursday with the unloading of the food collected and a finale party at the River Bend Food Bank in Davenport.
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