Food drive a smashing success

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The friendly competition between the Strathmore Fire Department and Holy Cross Collegiate to raise donations for the Wheatland County Food Bank concluded in a massive success. 

Between their efforts, the two groups raised nearly 4,700 pounds of food and over $1,000 in cash donations. 

Wheatland County Food Bank Executive Director Lynette Aschenbrenner said it was the single largest drive the foodbank has received and should last nearly until the end of the year. 

“They both did such a super job and obviously our community that was donating to it,” she said.

“We weigh out our hampers according to family size, so it will definitely stock up our shelves well into Christmas. Obviously, there are still going to be things we’ll run out of, you know, our staples, flour, sugar, our fresh items, but it has definitely stocked us up on a lot.”

According to Aschenbrenner, anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 pounds of food leaves the food bank every month to aid local families. 

Last year, the food bank packed 812 hampers, which served 2,350 people. Being roughly halfway through their current fiscal year, the food bank has already packed roughly 450 hampers and is on track to send out more than last year. 

“We were really impressed with the buy-in from the community. I mean, we facilitated the food drive, but the generosity of the community is what made it happen,” said Strathmore Deputy Fire Chief, Eric Alexander. “On the delivery day, we had stored all of our food that we had raised in one of our ice rescue trailers. We took all of our gear out, loaded the food in and headed over with about 10 or 12 firefighters.”

Once the fire department had made their delivery, they collected the students’ gathered donations for a second trip, as it was a regular day of classes for Holy Cross. 

To celebrate the accomplishment, the Strathmore Fire Department delivered on their promise to the students to host a barbeque after the delivery, as well as a tour of the station. 

Alexander added, though it might not be an annual project, the fire department would be happy to accept a challenge from another school in the community to run a food drive. 

“We are more than willing to challenge another school in town and beat the drums and get people talking about it and see what we can gather from the community for (the food bank),” he said. “I think it is something going forward that we will be willing to put our work and our backs into and make it happen for the community.”