Students help hungry with good cans
Generosity was out in force at South Waikato schools during the Wattie’s Cans for Good initiative.
Tokoroa North School, Putaruru College, Amisfield School, and Bishop Edward Gaines Catholic School all took part in the national initiative last week which encouraged students to bring along cans of food to donate to their local Salvation Army foodbank. However many cans were collected, Wattie’s pledged to match it.
An impressive 800 cans were collected from the schools during the week which means 1600 cans will be donated to the Tokoroa Salvation Army Foodbank to help the hungry people of Tokoroa.
Tokoroa North School and Amisfield School also got their creative juices flowing by taking part in a competition to create something out of the cans.
Tokoroa North School decided to create a mother and baby snake out of its 380 cans and Amisfield School made a giant silver fern out of its 322 cans.
Student Conor, 11, said it was challenging but worth it.
‘‘We spent all lunchtime and little bit of time afterwards making the snake out of all the cans we had been collecting over the week and added some eyes and other little details,’’ he said.
‘‘We learnt about fundraising
‘‘The amount of cans collected is almost a two for one ratio.’’
for people and it was also an act of kindness.’’
Amisfield School teacher David Collins said he was blown away by how giving the students were.
‘‘All of the classes have tried to outdo each other. They have brought in everything, it has been amazing,’’ he said.
‘‘The amount of cans collected is almost a two for one ratio for the students which is awesome.’’
Tokoroa Salvation Army corps officer Faye Molen thanked the schools for their generosity.
‘‘I think the most touching thing is that it has come at such a young age. They are just students and they are learning about how to become generous people, give back, and share, and that for us is the most important thing,’’ she said.
‘‘We have about seven families a day coming into the foodbank so the cans will make a huge difference. The word thank you is not enough.’’
Putaruru College also donated $150 from its mufti day.
Photos of the creations will now go before a panel to determine New Zealand’s winner.