• Recently, Operation Food Search and St. Louis Public Schools’ Division of Community Education congratulated the students and staff at Stix Early Childhood Center for collecting a record breaking 24,191 cans for the 8th Annual Hearts for Hunger campaign.

     

    According to Peg Pederson, SLPS’ Division of Community Education Supervisor, the Hearts for Hunger campaign was created after district leaders realized many SLPS and community families were faced with the tough choice in February to either heat their homes or feed their families. Wanting to ease the burden, the district partnered with Operation Food Search to collect and distribute nonperishable food to pantries in the city of St. Louis.  This year 52 SLPS schools participated in the 8th Annual Hearts for Hunger campaign, collecting more than 107,000 cans.

     

    Stix Early Childhood Center was the Elementary School Collections Leader and Overall Collection Leader for a second year in a row. Ms. Pettus, the campaign coordinator at Stix, motivated students and staff with inventive incentives that included:

    ·         A weekly pizza party for the class who collected the most cans that week

    ·         Four casual days for staff who paid $10.00

    ·         A school raffle, in which Ms. Dino, a highly sought baker amongst her peers, would make any baked good requested by the winner

    ·         and selling heart pens and pencils

     

    In addition, Ms. Pettus arranged for Krispy Kreme to officially sponsor the school’s Heart for Hunger campaign, and will be bringing free donuts for the entire school to congratulate each and every participant.

     

    Gary Wells, General Manager for Operation Food Search, thanked students by saying, “there are thousands and thousands of kids in SLPS and you are role models. You have shown kids across the district what they can do.”

     

    Other recognitions include: Top Middle School Collection Leader-Langston with 11,070 cans, Top High School Collections Leader- Gateway IT with 7,553 cans and Special Education Collection Leader-CAJT at Nottingham with 2,829 cans.

     

    For more information please contact the Office of Public Information (314) 345-2367.

     

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