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Veazie Rec's Fight Against Hunger

By: Veazie Parks and Recreation

By Rebecca Smart

         When the idea was brought up for the Veazie Parks and Recreation Department to host a Thanksgiving food drive, the children were chomping at the bit to get started.  They were thrilled at the idea that they could actually make a difference in someone else’s life by collecting non-perishable food items.  What made the process even more special was that Mike and Mike from KISS 94.5 came to After School Rec on the last day of the Food Drive to collect the food that we raised.

Before the collection of generous food donations even began, the Veazie Rec staff performed a series of “read-alouds” to the children to help them understand the importance of giving and helping others.  Books such as Eve Bunting’s Fly Away Home allowed the children to see the not everyone has a home or food to eat.  They felt empathy and wanted to do something to help.  A food drive seemed like the most practical and efficient way to give to those in need. 

The staff members provided the children with cardboard boxes to decorate with “food drive drop-box” signs and Thanksgiving illustrations.  They drew up posters and photocopied flyers to distribute to all of the students and teachers at the Veazie Community School.  The next step was to set a goal.  The staff discussed other food drives with the children, most notably the Mike and Mike Food Drive for Manna, which would be taking place the week after the Rec food drive was scheduled to end.  They decided that the food collected at their Rec food drive would be donated to Mike and Mike’s effort.  A suggestion was brought up that the goal ought to be try to fill the back of the principal’s truck.  The kids fell in love with the idea and the collection of food began. 

As the two week event started to heat up, the Veazie “Rec-ers” wondered if they would be able to meet Mike and Mike.  Their wishes came true when a visit to Rec was scheduled for the last day of the food drive.  This gave the children even more incentive to reach their goal and two days before the scheduled end of the Veazie Rec Fight Against Hunger, they did just that!  The children had raised a pick-up truck full of food. 

The next couple of days were spent preparing for the special visit from Mike and Mike.  The “Rec-ers” created Food Drive 2007 tee-shirts with fabric crayons and markers and even made a shirt for each “Mike.”  We were thrilled when the final measurement of food came in at over one and a half trucks full of food—688 items! 

When Mike and Mike came to Rec on Friday, November 16, the children were awestruck and speechless at first.  A few of the children asked questions ranging from “do you like the Red Sox?” to “how much have you ever raised from your food drive?”  The children shared brownie sundaes with the radio talk-show hosts and they graciously agreed to autograph the kids’ Food Drive tee-shirts. 

At the end of the afternoon it was announced that the top “donors” to the Veazie Rec Fight Against Hunger were invited to go on the radio with Mike and Mike.  The children were ecstatic upon hearing this news.  The top “donors” included third graders Emma Olmstead and Brinsley Chasse, each with 22 items; second and fourth graders A.J. and Austin Michaud, who had a combined 42 items; fourth grader Cameron Reed, who donated 62 items; and the top donor, first grader Caroline Reed with 74 items. 

All of the prizes and recognition aside, the children of Veazie Rec learned the importance of giving to people less fortunate.  By the end of the Food Drive, they truly believed in what they were doing and were left with ideas of how they could do more to help others.  Maybe next the goal will be two truck-loads!

To see pictures of the event, log onto our website at http://web.mac.com/veazierec