The COVID economy means many families will go without a Thanksgiving meal this year, but students at Challenger K-8 in Brooksville wanted to help out. 

They donated and collected more than six dozen bags of canned food and gift cards.

 “It’s just really important to be able to help families who are less fortunate during Thanksgiving,” Eighth grader Hannah Baur said

She and the other members of the BETA club at Challenger say lending a helping hand was a no brainer. So, they reached out to the principal.

“The digital students reached out and wanted to participate, so we put a cart outside yesterday. And when I left campus, it was full, and their parents dropped off items all day yesterday,” Principal Rosemarie Maiorini shared.

One by one, the donations were all packed into a Salvation Army van.

Lt. Mike Chamberlain with the Hernando County Salvation Army was present to receive the bags. He told Spectrum Bay News 9’s Katya Guillaume, “This really is incredible. We are blessed with very many donations throughout the year, but to see all of this as you’ve seen in one place here – this is incredible.”

This is the largest donation the Salvation Army will receive here in Hernando County. All of the food donated, along with more received throughout the year, will be able to feed over 600 families.

Baur finished by saying, “Just to be a part of this, it makes us feel really good to be able to help people. I’ve always thought from a young age – and I think a lot of people here have too – that it’s always nice to give to people who are less fortunate, especially during these times with COVID and it just feels amazing.”