Saskatoon high school students make massive donation to food bank

Students at a pair of Saskatoon high schools collected 32,673 pounds of food for the Saskatoon Food Bank & Learning Centre during a Halloween food drive.

The Halloweening for Hunger event – which has been running for the past 19 years – sees students from St. Joseph’s High School and Bishop James Mahoney High School going directly to homes to collect non-perishable donations such as canned food, baby formula, pasta and rice.

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This year, St. Joseph’s students collected 16,667 pounds of food, while Bishop James Mahoney’s students collected 16,006 pounds.

“This collaboration among local schools demonstrates the power of community spirit and the difference that can be made when we work together,” the food bank explained in a statement, noting that the donations will go directly towards helping community members experiencing food insecurity.

The donation is timely, as food bank use is on the rise across Canada.

Food Banks Canada says it recorded more than two million visits in March. That number is nearly double the monthly visits seen five years ago in March of 2019, and six per cent higher than last year’s record-breaking figure.

The Saskatoon Food Bank extended gratitude to Rosenau Transport, which provided a 40-foot trailer for the event.

“Their assistance was invaluable in ensuring that the collected food was transported safely and efficiently to the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre,” the food bank noted.

–with files from The Canadian Press