By Misty DUPLESSIS

On Dec. 6 Crescenta Valley High School launched its annual competition to raise items for the yearly Fall Food, Toy and Money Drive. On Dec. 15 students anxiously awaited the results of whose class would be named the winner of this year’s collections.

The rules were simple. All second period classes were challenged to bring in donated items including toys, canned goods and money for the Sheriff’s Toy and Food Drive. Items donated were assigned various point values and the class with the most points would be named the winner. This year’s winners, classes that ranked in first, second and third place, would be treated to breakfast burritos of their choice.

The classes worked to generate excitement for the cause and to demonstrate support for the drive. For example, to show its dedication in collecting items, Derrel Furtani’s class customized team T-shirts for the drive.

Students were excited to learn that points were doubled for items received on the last day of collections. As the competition drew to a close, Mathew Schick’s Wind Ensemble class was crowned this year’s winners with 18,818 points.

This was just one more victory for Schick, whose classes for over five years have earned the most points for their charitable efforts.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring stuff in because it’s very important, this year especially. Students brought nice food and toys,” Schick said. He enjoys participating in the friendly rivalry for the cause.

Class secretary and student of Schick’s winning class Jasmine Gatto-McCann explained how her class was able to triumph.

“Mr. Schick involves all his classes. Our class lacked so we got together the donated money and went out and bought toys [like] dolls for the girls and hot wheels for the boys,” said Gatto-McCann who was one of the students that helped organize the class collections.

John Pehar’s class oversaw the operation and worked diligently in keeping the project organized and the competition fair. Pehar expressed his appreciation for the teacher and student efforts.

Senior Kelsey Knapp assisted in directing drop offs and also helped with making sure students were aware of the details of the drive, proclaiming the charity a success based on student participation.

This year CV High School raised nearly $3,000. Sherriff’s Toy and Food Drive organizer Officer Jorge Valdivia was confident that the items collected would fill the 10 remaining bags that the sheriff volunteers needed to fill for delivery on Saturday morning, Dec. 18. Valdivia expressed
his gratitude to the staff, students and their families who helped the sheriff’s drive feed more than 200 families and give over 500 children an even more meaningful holiday season.

ASB cabinet members Abby Gabor and Madison Huske reminded students that the deeper purpose behind the food drive is that needy families benefit from student involvement and that because of this, “Everyone is a winner.”

  CV Sheriffs, cvhs, Toy and food drive