Team work was the word for the day as representatives from all Parkland schools converged at the high school recently to help wrap pallets filled with various foodstuffs.

These pallets were then loaded onto trucks and taken to Second Harvest Food Bank, Nazareth. This 12th annual event was a district-wide effort in combatting hunger in the community.

In the month prior to the massive food delivery, students and staff from each of the eight elementary, two middle schools and the high school were encouraged to donate non-perishable canned or boxed food items.

The donations were then transported to the high school where members of a student council committee spent their free and study hall time counting and boxing in preparation for donation day.

“It is a huge project,” said Julie Wood, student council faculty advisor. “This year, the high school alone contributed 15,444 items. That’s a new record for us.”

According to Nicole McGalla, director of Community Relations and Development with Parkland School District, this year’s numbers totaled 23,838 items along with $1,547 in monetary donations.

Christopher Leavey, a driver for Second Harvest, was proud to be transporting this year’s delivery.

“Having kids be exposed to something like this now is encouraging,” Leavey said.

“Maybe some will think either now or in the future, maybe there is something else we can do.”