Donate food to Souper Bowl while you still can

IDAHO FALLS — Friday, Jan. 29, is the last day of the Souper Bowl, a food drive put on by Idaho Falls School District 91.

Both Skyline and Idaho Falls high schools have each set a goal to collect 50,000 cans. Students are collecting cans and money from middle schools, businesses and people living in the area.

“Yellowstone and Hitt are the boundaries,” said Lacey George, a junior at Skyline High School who is part of Skylines’s student government class and serves as secretary.”Ammon is free ground.”

Both schools and Compass High School have been working together to meet the district’s goal of 100,000 cans, but students still view it as a friendly competition between schools.

“We come together, we are unified, but the competition aspect makes it fun,” said Skyline teacher Heidi Guza. “We are doing something good, and it is fun.”

Idaho Falls High School students also said the competition has been fun, but overall the schools have been working together.

They collect money and cans in much the same way, using contests and memes to get students attention, but each school also has special activities to help students meet their goals. Skyline has raffles and sells Chick-fil-A sandwiches while IFHS rewards classes that donate the most with dodgeball games and doughnuts.

The schools focuses the event on helping those in need, but also as a way for high school students to hone leadership and organizational skills. Both schools use a leadership class to keep track of donations and determine winners. The classes also contact business to get donations.

“Leadership class allows students to help the school as well as the community,” said Danae Rogers, an IFHS teacher.

The donations will go to the Community Food Basket, the local soup kitchen and the Skyline High School food pantry.

“There are hungry people out there, we have to feed them,” said Mathew Busch, senior vice president at IFHS. “We want to help any way we can.”