Saddle Mountain Elementary students distribute 25 meals
Organizing the food for placement in boxes are Daira Portillo, Salvador Velasco, Aiden Lopez, Sabrina Soto, Margarita Melo, Naydelin Cruz, Michelle Miranda and Yesenia Peñafiel.
From left, Rodnie Gonzalez, Diego Perez, Salvador Velasco, Michelle Miranda and Aiden Lopez unload donated turkeys.
MATTAWA — Challenged by their school to “give back” to their community, Saddle Mountain Elementary students gathered the food to prepare 25 Thanksgiving meal baskets and deliver them to families who might not otherwise have had that meal.
According to Principal Sean Langdon, SME challenged students and staff, for the month of November, to give back to the community.
“In the October Leadership Assembly, leadership students presented the Give Back Challenge, with the goal to provide 25 Thanksgiving meals for families in our community,” Langdon said. “Now, SME is proud to announce that the they met their goal.”
Students collected food every few days until just before Thanksgiving. They were excited to see the mass of food growing in the display case in the entrance hallway of SME.
Students and families gave what they could to help others in the community. In the end, more than 600 items were collected, and 26 turkeys were donated by staff and parents.
A friendly competition between classes quickly developed to see which class would be able to provide the most foot items. Irene Longmire’s class came out on top, but it was a close finish.
The collection of food caught on, and staff and families from Mattawa Elementary began donating as well. In addition, a few hundred potatoes were donated by Wahluke School Board Member Jerry Yorgesen.
“And it wasn’t just food,” Langdon said. “Warm blankets, coats and gloves were also donated by members of our community.”
On Tuesday, Nov. 24, SME students delivered the meals. Families that benefited from these meals were families of students at SME, Mattawa Elementary and Wahluke Junior High.
Students celebrated the achievement of meeting the Give Back Challenge at the November Leadership Assembly.
Students thanked transportation director Donna Ziegler, as well as Langdon, Dean of Students Joe Meyer; Counselor Elizabeth Tapia; Instructional Reading Coach Joanie Butterly; PE teacher Mark Hull and Secretary Olga Sanchez for their help.