by Ellie Boyer, reporter

FAIRHOPE, Ala. – The fall canned food drive, led by Student Government Association president Anna Bowler Conyers, gives students the chance to donate canned goods. Students collected a total of 1,250 cans for Prodisee Pantry and Angel Tree families. 

“Angel Tree families are families that are within the school who are in need [of items or food],” Bowler said. “The social worker, Mrs. Barrett, knows who the Angel tree families are so they can provide goods for them.” 

Angel Tree families represented by ornaments on a Christmas tree in the school informs students to donate items needed for those families.  Barrett reached out to SGA asking if the canned food drive could benefit Angel Tree families in addition to Prodisee Pantry. 

“We were actually unaware that the food drive was [originally] specifically  for those [Angel Tree] families,” Bowler said. “We reached out to Prodisee Pantry first, not knowing.”

Prodisee Pantry Student Council member A.C. Ahrendt helped Bowler run the drive. 

“We like to have at least one food drive a year,” Ahrendt said. “Because I’m a representative, I’ve been communicating with the people [Prodisee Pantry] and just helping organize it.” 

Bowler took inspiration from elementary school when creating the canned food drive. 

“The original idea was to recreate the Iron Bowl food drive from elementary school and that’s what kind of started it all,” Bowler said. 

To find a way to give back to the community and the school, Bowler and Ahrendt found a way to create fun while benefiting others.

“Most of the time they [people] want to get a prize or something, so we ended up changing it to be a competition between homerooms,” Bowler said. 

First period teacher Erin Hendrick’s class received a Chick-fil-A breakfast for donating 988 cans.