Food bank challenge nets over 8,000 items

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

welliott@kentvilleadvertiser.ca

NovaNewsNow.com

It was touch and go at times, but the fifth annual food bank challenge between Horton and Central Kings high schools collected over 8,000 items.

Numbers were up slightly over last year, says Horton teacher Renata Verri, because cash donations were higher.

However, “I wonder sometimes if people are becoming desensitized,” she pondered. This year Horton benefited from one sizable cheque and the contribution of music teacher Don Coates.

Coates put out a new CD this fall called Half Moon Harvest and donated the proceeds. Students at Horton also contributed through a benefit concert.

The donations went to food banks in Wolfville, New Minas-Kentville and Berwick. The number of Nova Scotians seeking assistance from food banks last year was 18,417 and 34.6 per cent of them were children.