Article and Photography posted by ABC7 NEWS on February 3, 2015
LAWTON, Okla._Students at Eisenhower High School have earned $5,000 worth of technology upgrades for their school.
They were one of the top five schools in the nation who participated in a holiday food drive sponsored by a group called “Lead 2 Feed.” By the end of the drive, they collected $4,000 worth of food and $1,200 in cash.
According to school officials, they encourage freshmen to do a service project. And “Lead 2 Feed” was perfect for them. They created a mentorship program out of it that allowed students to come together to feed the community, and it came with a huge pay off.
“I was so thrilled. I was shocked. I was so amazed that we had new technology now. It’s a great feeling,” said Valeria Barrientos, EHS senior.
But none of this could’ve been possible without the hard work of students. Francy Garner, 11th-grade assistant principal, turned it into a freshman mentoring program.
“So, what we’re trying to strive for is to have students learn skills and leadership. We want them to learn how to plan a big event and carry it out,” said Garner.
The upperclassmen, or ignition mentors, connect with the freshmen and work with them every other week to plan the project. The weekend of December 6 and 7, they were able to get 100 students and 15 staff members to rack up $4,000 worth of food and $1,200 in cash.
“We are always amazed. People were coming out with carts full of food to donate. They wanted to really help us win! So, community, thank you,” said Garner.
“It means a whole lot. Just knowing that I can help the community and those in need. It just touches my heart to come together as a school and unite,” said Barrientos.
Some worked from 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. But students say it was all worth it as their school’s technology is in dire need of a new facelift.
“Our school is finally going to move up with technology. It’s been a struggle. Our facilities are nice, but outdated. It’s a nice shock to see that our hard work paid off and it’s going to help advance our education,” said Tyler Dunn, EHS sophomore.
And the competition isn’t over yet, there will be a second drawing where the projects will be judged again in April. Up to five grand prize winners will receive $250,000 for the non-profit organization of their choice and an additional $20 000 for more technology products for their school.
All of the proceeds from the December food drive were donated to the Salvation Army in Lawton.