School has bountiful food drive

Pupils and staffers at Grovetown Elementary School shared the bounty of their tables with the less fortunate in Grovetown on Friday, wrapping up a two-week food drive to benefit United We Care.

The schoolwide food drive, which began Nov. 15 and ended Thursday, netted more than 1,400 canned goods, other nonperishable foods and about $100 to benefit the Grovetown-based food pantry and clothing mission.

Will Benton, a volunteer for United We Care, said his organization welcomed the donations.

"This allows United We Care to help our neighbors within Grovetown," he said.

Twenty-one pupils in Leslie Dial's first-grade class dressed as Santa's elves Friday and placed the cans into about 60 milk crates and dozens of boxes with the help of several city employees. The goods were delivered by truck to the pantry on East Robinson Avenue.

"It wouldn't have been successful without all the students, the parents and the teachers," said Dial, who organized the 14th annual drive with her aide, Jackie Hannah, and parent volunteer Beth Lewis. "With United We Care, it's a local organization, which I think encourages people to get more involved."

Lewis' son Parker said he was proud to help the less fortunate in Grovetown and enjoyed getting out of class to help ship the food out.

"It was really fun putting the cans in the basket," he said.

On Saturday, as a way to end the food drive, Dial's class rode a float it helped decorate, called The Giving Tree, in the city's Christmas parade. The float was clad in empty cans, and the children passed out Chick-fil-A coupons to the crowd.