Cecily Gray was a bit nervous before the final matchup of Munch Madness on Monday morning.
Gray, Kentwood High’s ASB president, wasn’t sure if the school was going to reach the goal of raising 30,000 pounds of food once all the donations collected by Julia Johnson’s and Mike Angelidis’ third period classes would be enough to put them over the top.
“It’s tough because I feel like we could’ve done a little bit more,” Gray said before the final weigh-in. “But, kids have been really passionate about it… and they’ve really worked to get the community involved which was one of my major goals.”
She was also happy they were able to connect with the Kent Rotary and get that group involved.
At 9:45 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 6, students from Julian Johnson’s class brought food to the Kentwood commons and waited as Courtney Johnson, a senior in Julia Johnson’s class, explained just what she and the other 15 students — all but one are seniors — did to raise 2,400 pounds of food before the final weigh-in.
“We did lots of different things,” Courtney Johnson said. “One of our major things was we went to QFC on 240th in Kent. They let us stand out there every day after school and on weekends to collect donations. Just about everyone who came out brought us at least one can. Everyone there was really nice.”
The students also collected $500 in donations, she said, which they used to buy more non-perishable items at Grocery Outlet.
“We also went door to door,” Courtney Johnson said. “Some of it was donated by other classes.”
For the seniors in the class, she said, it was important to really make an impact through this food drive. Plus the Munch Madness bracket aspect brought out the competitive nature of Courtney Johnson, who plays for the Conqueror’s girls basketball team.
“This is a class of seniors that has really been involved the whole time we’ve been here,” she said.
Gray gazed at the pile of food Julia Johnson’s class had collected the previous week and said, “It’s amazing what these kids can do.”
By the end of the weigh-in, Julia Johnson’s class had collected more than 5,600 pounds of food in the final week of the competition leading up to the championship.
Meanwhile, Angelidis doesn’t even have a third period class, so he led a collective effort to bring donations for Munch Madness.
“We did our best; all we could do is do our best,” Angelidis said while the food was being weighed. “We will make the goal of 30,000 pounds.”
At 10 a.m. the donations from Angelidis and staff started arriving. An SUV and two pickup trucks with the beds loaded with food backed up in front of the doors to the commons. Gray and Eliana Spero weighed the food as quickly as it was brought in.
When all was said and done, the final week total for Angelidis and his supporting cast was more than 6,200 pounds of food, with the two groups bringing in 11,889 pounds combined.
They were just shy of the goal, needing about 400 pounds to make it, with Gray and Spero strategizing on how to get enough to make it.
Angelidis was ready to go to the store and get what was needed. He didn’t have to do it to win — he already had it in the bag— but he wanted to help make the goal.
“The class of zero students beat the class of 16 students,” Angelidis joked after the count was finished.
Gray was not so nervous once the final weigh-in was done.
“I feel a lot better,” she said. “These last two classes were the most dedicated. We went above and beyond the regular call of duty. We stand out in the community and I think this shows it. None of the other schools have raised this much.”
Donations will continue to be accepted at Kentwood High this week. The school is located at 25800 164th Ave. S.E., Covington.
