Penticton teens take on task of collecting 10,000 food items in one night

Teenage volunteers in Penticton have taken on the colossal challenge of collecting at least 10,000 items of food in a single night.

The annual campaign – 10,000 Tonight – is a joint effort between students from Princess Margaret Secondary and Pen-Hi. And they can’t help but feel a sense of friendly competition.

“Between students, there is still that rivalry to want to get more donations than the other school,” co-ordinator Deepika Gill said. “And it pushes us to work harder.”

Reaching its goal of at least 10,000 non-perishables is a realistic challenge, however students aim for much more, and noted that last year’s numbers weren’t as high as usual.

Co-ordinator Kayla Lancaster feels proud to be able to demonstrate to the community what high schoolers are capable of.

“It’s nice to be able to help out in a way that’s so important for the community,” she said. “The donations at Salvation Army are down 25%, even though the need has doubled.”

And co-ordinator Uno Orlik, through his efforts with 10,000 Tonight, was surprised to learn that a significant rate of local food bank users are under 18.

“Some of them even probably are at the schools we go to,” he said.

Both high schools try to round up between 150 and 200 volunteers.

Students get split into groups – some are assigned neighbourhoods to collect donations, while others help sort and deliver from the schools.

This year’s food drive is happening Thursday, Nov. 23. Anybody who’s able to help them reach 10,000 items is asked to leave donations outside their home by 5:30 p.m., which is when the students will begin collecting.

Non-perishable donations can also be left in bins which have been placed at all public schools and grocery stores in Penticton. Monetary donations can also be made by scanning the QR code.

— This story was originally published by the Penticton Herald.