By Alexander Violo
Students and staff at Medomak Valley High School gathered a variety of foodstuffs for the Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine during the first day of the School Spirit Challenge Friday, Sept. 11. |
In the early hours of a mild, rainy morning, students filed into the gymnasium at Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro.
Despite the early hour – the rally commenced at 5 a.m. – the students exhibited a high level of energy and plenty of community pride during the first School Spirit Challenge day of the year.
The School Spirit Challenge, in its fifth year, is a friendly competition between high schools in central and southern Maine to benefit the Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine.
Students and residents brought in a substantial amount of donations, filling a couple tables in the gymnasium with a variety of food stuffs.
Julie Guerette, of Good Shepherd Food Bank, was on hand in the gym to thank the students for their efforts, noting the importance of their donations to families in need.
“Every dollar we are able to raise helps us to provide four meals,” Guerette said.
She also said a portion of the fundraising efforts will stay in the Medomak Valley community.
“Twenty-five percent of the funds raised here will come back to this community,” Guerette said.
Based out of Auburn, the food bank services the entire state and helps food pantries deliver items to their communities.
Food donated to the organization is distributed to food pantries, soup kitchens, group homes, and shelters.
“We act as the grocery store for local pantries,” Guerette said.
In addition to the food stuffs, monetary donations are also greatly appreciated by the food bank to aid their efforts to fight hunger in Maine.
The activity at Medomak Valley High School was covered live on “Good Day Maine” by Portland-based television station WGME.
The camera crew fired up the students as youths on both sides of the gym showed their school pride throughout the rally.
 |
Seniors Nicholas DePatsy (left) and Jackson Vail won the twin competition during the Medomak Valley High School School Spirit Challenge Friday, Sept. 11. (Photo courtesy Lisa Genthner Gunn) |
The school’s football team, cheerleaders, and band took front and center during several portions of the morning, firing up the student body with raucous cheers and guitar solos.
Though the television crews will be off to the other eight schools participating in this year’s challenge in the coming weeks, that doesn’t mean fundraising efforts at Medomak Valley will be ending any time soon.
The challenge runs through Friday, Oct. 30 and donations can be deposited at the high school’s guidance office.
For monetary donations, checks should be made out to the Good Shepherd Food Bank.
“The school can collect funds the entire time,” Guerette said.
The school’s goal is to collect 100,000 pounds of food stuffs and, as the event’s opening rally neared its completion, the school had already collected 10,000 pounds.
Leanne Young, of the school’s guidance department, said she appreciated the energy Medomak Valley students brought to the assembly.
“It was exciting to see the students rally and show their school spirit this morning,” Young said.
A number of local businesses contributed to the school’s fundraising efforts.
The winner of this year’s School Spirit Challenge will receive the School Spirit Challenge trophy.
Last year’s winner was Gould Academy in Bethel, which pulled in 108,618 pounds for the Good Shepherd Food Bank.
