Okanagan College students are going to join trick or treaters on the street this Halloween and they’ve set themselves some pretty hefty goals for the loot they plan to bring in.
To celebrate Okanagan College’s fiftieth anniversary, students from the Enactus group at the college aim to collect 50,000 lbs of food in one day, with all non-perishable food donations going directly to the food bank to help those in need.
“With 1 in 7 children attending school in the Okanagan without breakfast and food bank usage up 31 per cent since 2008, many in our area are in need of immediate hunger relief,” organizers said in a release.
They’ve set Oct. 31 as the date, part of their annual Trick or Eat fundraiser, partnering with Save-On Foods and the Salvation Army Community Food Bank.
The event takes place at the Penticton Save-On Foods from 4 to 8 p.m., with a coffee and hot chocolate stand by donation and a photographer for a best costume draw. Students from Enactus and other community groups are also going door-to-door collecting non-perishable food items around Penticton.
This event is part of Enactus’ work with Help Hunger Disappear Challenge, which they have supported for four years. The challenge, sponsored by Campbell’s Soup, focuses on raising awareness and translating that awareness to action, as well as empowering those in need to defeat the hunger cycle.
“The energy and commitment that they bring to such an important cause is inspiring,” said Ron Jean, Campbell’s B.C. Interior manager. “Once again, the Campbell Company of Canada is excited to work with the team at Enactus Okanagan College in helping the food bank.”
Enactus Okanagan College (formerly Students in Free Enterprise) is a non-profit student run organization in Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton and Salmon Arm that develops and implements projects in their communities that improve the quality of life and standard of living across the region.