By Nancy Edwards
Students from Fishers High School have been awarded for their spirit of giving once again for donating the most amount of pasta in a recent campaign to help Second Helpings, a nonprofit community kitchen based in Indianapolis. The mission for the center is to transform lives through the power of food.
Representatives from FHS were recently given a trophy at a basketball game between FHS and HSEHS for helping to fight hunger. The school donated 1,600 pounds of elbow macaroni and spaghetti, which provides enough starch for several months, according to Betsy Whitmore, communications director for Second Helpings.
“It was a lot of fun to stand at center court to say thank you and award a nice trophy to Fishers High School for doing so much work,” Whitmore said.
HSEHS and FHS provided collection bins for fans to donate boxes of pasta at the annual Mudsock Game, a football game held in August for the schools.
“This is the largest pasta drive in the world involving high school students,” said John DeLucia, a member of Hamilton Southeastern School’s School Board. “It’s a lot of fun, the competition is good and healthy (between schools).
“Of all the schools that have been involved, Fishers High School has been the one that ‘gets it’ the most,” he continued. “That starts with FHS Principal Jason Urban’s leadership and encouragement of their students to look beyond themselves. Mark Pierson (teacher at FHS) did an incredible job as the point person this year. He really got the key students involved early. He helped create a tremendous amount of enthusiasm during Mudsock Week, and just made it happen.”
Pierson attributed the success of Pasta Bowl to the students, who he said ran with the opportunity.
“The students were given the freedom to create ways of collecting pasta and create ways of re-creating Mr. DeLucia’s passion to be accepted throughout the student body,” Pierson said. “They were empowered to do something significant and they ran with it. It was awesome to watch them work and come together as an organization for such a great cause.”
Meier was the main sponsor for Pasta Bowl. Other organizations involved included Trensy, Delaware Township Trustees Office, Fall Creek Township Trustees Office, Graham Rahal Foundation, Citizens State Bank, Come to Me Food Pantry, and Saint Louis de Monfort Sally Burton Food Pantry.
Second Helpings also provides culinary job training for disadvantaged adults. For more information, visit http://www.secondhelpings.org/about-us.
