For the third year in a row, fourth-grade students at Bishop Noland Episcopal Day School beat their canned food drive record.

Each November, Bishop Noland students participate in a school-wide Thanksgiving food drive by collecting dry goods and canned goods. For the students in teachers Gage Gardner and Jean Marie Rasbeary’s classes, the spirit of competition energizes the annual drive effort.

In 2022, Gardner’s class collected 5,352 items.

In 2023, her students gathered 7,873 items for the food drive.

The class set a goal of 8,000 donations earlier this year. By the middle of November, they collected 9,942 items.

“Every year, Ms. Rasbeary and I think there is no way we will beat our previous year’s goal, but we did it again,” Gardner said.

The food drive is a competition for a good cause that gifts each student with a lasting spirit of giving.

It’s a powerful reminder of the impact we can have when we come together to help others. It teaches my students the value of hard work, generosity, and the importance of helping others in times of need, especially during the holidays,” she said.

“Watching them take pride in their collection and putting in the work to count, sort, and deliver our food items is my favorite part of this event.”

The items were donated to Abraham’s Tent and Good Shepherd’s outreach house and supplied items for the Little Free Pantry near the school.