By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Union City Schools students and staff have again put the ‘giving’ in an annual Thanksgiving community service project.
Collectively, UC Elementary, Middle and High Schools have donated more than 12,000 cans and non-perishable food items to a pair of charitable organizations that will feed and provide assistance to those in need during the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
The widespread acts of kindness from the Purple and Gold Nation has become a tradition for UC Schools in helping the less fortunate in and around holiday time.
“Our students and our staff continue to amaze me with their kindness and spirit of giving,” UC Director of Schools Wes Kennedy said of the gesture. “As I’ve been in and around all three campuses, it has given me great satisfaction and pride to see all the items stacked around the walls in the halls and know that our people have great compassion for those who might be less fortunate and in need.
“I’m humbled to be the leader of so many good human beings with gigantic hearts.”
The food items will be divided equally between the Obion County Ministerial Association and Chimes for Charity.
The OCMS will again orchestrate the annual “Feeding of the 5,000” grocery distribution and Thanksgiving Soul Food Café meal, incorporated in recent years by the Refuge Church. Both events will be staged at the Obion County Fairgrounds.
The Union City Jaycees and J’cettes will once more spearhead the 88th annual Chimes for Charity food basket program. Those baskets, which help those Obion Countians in need, will be delivered on Christmas Eve morning as has been the tradition.
Students on all three UC School campuses contributed to the mass amounts of food collected for this year’s distribution.
At UC Elementary, students and staff donated nearly 8,800 items. As part of the annual Turkey Trot and Pacer (Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run) Run, students collected food items based on the number of laps they ran or walked in the gymnasium during PE classes.
There were class and individual competitions in each grade, with winning classes earning pizza parties. The top individuals in each class earned medals, and the girl and boy who produced the most food items will be rewarded with trophies.
Emilee Lucas’ 1st Grade class had the most items donated of any class with 665.
Among the winning classes and their teachers were:
PreK – Kursten Orsborne
Kindergarten – Kristian Davis
1st Grade – Emilee Lucas
2nd Grade – Karen Fields
3rd Grade – Randi Lynn Moore
4th Grade – Mallory Powers
The Jr. Beta Club at Union City Middle School organized the competition between all four grade levels on that campus.
All totaled, there were over 2,500 items donated, with 6th graders producing the most with 829. Fifth-grade students collectively brought 796 items.
At UC High School, nearly 1,000 canned items were collected by students there.
The Key Club spearheaded the project with the Art Club pitching in to make signs advertising the event.