Valley middle schoolers pack buses with food

Middle school students spread out across Spokane Valley last weekend to fill yellow school buses with donated food in hopes of making Thanksgiving a little happier for needy families.

Six schools, 175 kids and dozens of staff members collected 13,426 pounds of food, 805 pounds of frozen turkeys and 935 pounds of potatoes during the 10th annual Fill the Bus event, exceeding organizer’s goal of 14,000 pounds. The effort also raised $2,632.

“We filled six buses,” said Gordon Grassi, North Pines Middle School principal and an event organizer. “Every seat had a box.”

Donations have been delivered to Spokane Valley Partners Food Bank.

Raelee Rowland, 14, helped lead the student side of the effort. “I like helping people and doing good for the community,” she said. “It helps our kids help other people.”

She added, “Kids know there’s a definite need because some of them are in that situation.”

Students from Central Valley School District’s six middle schools collected food on Saturday for six hours at Spokane Valley grocery store parking lots including, Fred Meyer, Safeway, Albertson’s, Trading Co. and Rosauers.

Two students dressed up in a bear cub mascot costume to hand out Fill the Bus fliers inside one of the grocery stores and wave at kids.

“We got a lot of thank yous,” Rowland said.

This year’s fundraiser pulled in 2,000 more pounds of food than last year, Grassi said. It’s the most since the effort started. The plan is to shoot for 15,000 pounds next year.

“It was so fun to get to collect food for people that are in need and to know that you are doing a good thing,” Rowland said.