The Great Crossing High School gym was packed for the annual Scott County Schools Thanksgiving Food Drive assembly.
Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, along with AMEN House Director Michele Carlisle and Miss Kentucky Hannah Edelen were in attendance to celebrate the success of bringing in over 28,000 canned and non perishable goods for the AMEN House at GCHS.
Scott County High School celebrated its food drive with a Hunger Games theme and the assemblies were student led.
“Today (Tuesday) is such a great day for the AMEN House,” said Carlisle. “Both high school food drive assemblies happened this (Tuesday) morning (Nov. 22). And the AMEN House is going to be stronger for it.
“We are so thankful to both schools who showed up and met the challenge of doing a food drive at their school. I understand that numbers are coming in from Scott County High School at close to 3,000 cans, which is amazing. And numbers have come in at Great Crossing High School of almost 29,000 cans. So, guys, this is a great day for fighting hunger in Scott County. This community is stronger because of the support of these high schools.”
FFA members learned life skills, as well as the value of giving at this event, said Nathan Sewell with GCHS FFA. It is a competition between two schools, but everybody wins, he said.
“We have the Maxwell Mafia and Sunda Nation, (two teams) that really get out, and drive and push for this,” Sewell said. “They do a super job. Shoutout to them. They get the troops rallied. It’s the biggest year that we’ve had at Great Crossing.”
Canned goods and nonperishable items are still being collected at Georgetown Kroger for each school that will go toward AMEN House. Bins may be located at each entrance for food collection. Those totals will later be added to the respective schools collection total.
“The canned food drive is something everybody in the school looks forward to,” said Seth Felts, with Scott County FFA. “A lot of the students (during the food drive) are super excited every day.”
There is a healthy competition between schools, but having the healthy internal competition builds back camaraderie within the school since the split, said Hailee Sigmon, with Scott County FFA.
“All of our kids have been mingling together a lot more,” Simon said. “They love it. They get to compete against each other. But, it’s a cool opportunity for all of them.”
The food drive has gone on since 1955, Quarles said and it continues today.
“I’m so proud that Scott County Schools continue to support the AMEN House around Thanksgiving with an FFA driven food drive across the school system,” he said.
Involved in FFA while at Scott County, Quarles said he remembers the same assembly from when he was a student in 2001.
“Twenty years ago, I graduated high school—it seems like time has (flown)—but, now looking back after two decades, I’m just so proud that students take a moment to help out fellow students in Scott County.
“Food insecurity exists in Scott County. And, it was here, when I was a senior in high school, that really motivated me to do something about food insecurity.”
Now as the Commissioner of Agriculture, Quarles has helped raise awareness, something he said started for him here in Scott County.
Though this food drive brought in thousands of canned goods, the need is still there for donations and help to feed those in the community who are food insecure.
“This is one of the biggest drives for the AMEN House to help get them through the year, but they still have need,” Sewell said. “So, throughout the year, anytime that somebody could, as Dr. Quarles, Commissioner of Agriculture, said, you can donate food items. You can donate money. You can donate your time.”
