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School challenge helps Cloverdale food drive

A long standing but friendly rivalry sees Clayton Heights and Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary collecting donations for hamper program
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Determined to beat Clayton Heights in food donations: Claire McCallum

Let the battle begin, and may the most generous school win.

A good-natured rivalry between Clayton Heights Secondary and Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary to see which school can collect the most donations for a local holiday food hamper program has heated up this year.

The two student councils are urging students, staff, parents, and community members to support the Cloverdale Christmas Hamper Program. The non-denominational campaign, headquartered at Pacific Community Church, provides food hampers and gifts to as many as 600 Cloverdale residents (or about 300 local families) during the holidays.

Now in its 24th year, the grassroots program relies on donations from individuals, businesses, churches and schools. Cloverdale schools perform the heavy lifting in terms of donations,  according to Hannah Hollander, co-student council president at Lord Tweedsmuir along with Alan Wu and Claire McCallum, who are overseeing their school food drive.

At Clayton Heights, the food drive is being organized by the school’s Project Equal group, headed by Taylor Mackie, Aly Nuruddin and Emily Markwart.

LTS has already been out collecting donations for Cloverdale residents, mounting the Halloween for Hunger food drive in October, which saw students going door to door to collect on behalf of the Surrey Food Bank. About 30 students took part, raising 1,200 donations.

On Wednesday, Dec. 9, Lord Tweedsmuir is holding a Community Donation Drop-off event at the front of the school, located at 6151 180 Street.

All parents and community members are invited to bring donations from 2:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

There will be free hot chocolate, coffee, Christmas music and student volunteers on hand to collect as donors drive through.

Help pack the police car

There’s also a major food drive in support of the Cloverdale Christmas Hamper Program this Friday (2:30-8 p.m.) at Hillcrest Village Mall, located at 18710 Fraser Hwy).

Pack the Police Car is an annual event hosted by Save-on-Foods, the Cloverdale/Port Kells Surrey RCMP detachment, Pacific Community Church, the City of Surrey and Hillcrest Mall.

Suggested donations include: non perishable food items (canned vegetables and fruit, soup, crackers canned meat or fish, condiments, pasta, rice); grocery and food gift cards; toiletries and personal care items; new gloves, socks and scarves; new, unwrapped children’s toys and gifts (ages newborn to 12 years); mall/store gift cards for youth ages 13-17).

Donations of cash are also needed. For more information call 604-574-4001 ext 107 or email cloverdale Christmashampers@gmail.com