By Lauren Lifke
Students at San Antonito Elementary School in Sandia Park came together on Monday, Nov. 17, to feed East Mountain community members in need during its food drive that lasted throughout the first half of November.
The Superhero Food Drive, in collaboration with the East Mountains Food Pantry, invited students from the San Antonito STEM Magnet school to collect food to donate. Students collaborated for the opportunity to win a pizza and drink party for the winning class. The drive, which lasted from Oct. 27 through Nov. 14, resulted in about 10,000 food items collected to donate.
The East Mountains Food Pantry is a partner agency with Roadrunner Food Bank, based in Tijeras, that strives to provide for the hunger needs of families east of Albuquerque.
The three-week-long marathon awarded a winning class at the end of each week.
Monday’s event concluded the food drive, East Mountains Food Pantry Board Director Lizza Harrison told The Independent. The overall winning classroom was announced at the end of the event. Harrison said the community was impressed that the winning classroom was a group of kindergartners. The winning students joined volunteers from the East Mountains Food Pantry to help load and transport the food. It was a “real joy to watch” the students have fun helping volunteers, Harrison said.
“They were really excited, and they climbed in the truck and whatnot,” Harrison said.
Harrison said she heard from various community members that the event was one of the largest, if not the largest for both East Mountains Food Pantry and for the elementary school.
“We are just so humbled and grateful that the community and San Antonito Elementary is one of several that have reached out and are really banding together to support our East Mountain food clients,” Harrison said.
Those who wish to help out the East Mountains Food Pantry are welcome to find ways to get involved at the organization’s website. The pantry’s next big event will be hosted in Cedar Crest on Sunday, Nov. 23, where community members are invited to donate at a food drive at Rumor Brewing.