SPOKANE, Wash. — Students at Gonzaga Prep have collected 168,000 pounds of food for their annual Thanksgiving drive and are pushing toward a record-breaking goal of 200,000 pounds.
The Bull Pups have already exceeded last year’s total by 10,000 pounds with a few days remaining before Wednesday’s distribution to local food pantries.
“This year our need was greater, with SNAP benefits being cut and then reinstalled,” said Kelton Doolittle, a senior at Gonzaga Prep. “So, food pantries were bare. That’s why our goal is 200,000 this year.”
Doolittle is part of a Bull Pup legacy and has been contributing to this food drive for as long as he can remember.
“My dad went to [Gonzaga] Prep, my grandma worked at Prep, so it’s always been something that I look forward to every fall — even from when I was a little kid,” Doolittle said.
Gonzaga Prep began its Thanksgiving food drive in 1958.
This year, students want to make history again with their 200-thousand-pound donation goal.
Students have expanded beyond traditional collection methods, standing outside grocery stores and canvassing neighborhoods. Arline Uniysconco Alvarez, a senior at Gonzaga Prep, collected donations outside a local Yoke’s store.
“I stood outside of Yoke’s last weekend and just seeing how many people gave and like how intentional they also were and asked what we needed was really inspiring,” Alvarez said.
But helping the community goes beyond the quantity collected.
“Even though this is a competition of like poundage, we try to look at the quality of food,” Alvarez said. “Being intentional with what we bring is really important to me.”
The weekend before Thanksgiving represents the most intensive collection period.
“It’s always the weekend before Wednesday is the craziest time to go food driving,” Doolittle said.
With 32,000 pounds still needed, students continue their efforts to reach the ambitious target while addressing food insecurity in the Spokane community.
“Small contributions do really help. And they add up if you all work together as a community,” Alvarez said.
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