Page 7 South Florence students support Help 4 Kids with annual food drive On October 26th, South Florence will host West Florence in what's sure to be the biggest football game of the season for both schools. This rivalry between the two schools goes back further than any of the current players or students can even remember. In addition to the game, there is a bigger and more important competition that goes on at the same time. Two years ago, the students decided to turn this rivalry between the schools into something bigger than the game of football and bragging rights. In addition to the “big game” and the other antics that go along with this rivalry, senior football players will be sponsoring a Vienna sausage drive as a part of the competition. Started by Charles Spears, a former South Florence student and varsity football player, this is an annual event in which students compete with West Florence High school students to see which school can collect the most nonperishable food items. While this is a competition between the two schools, South Florence’s 1st period classes will also be competing against each other to see which class can collect the most cans for a chance at donuts for the winning class. During the weeks leading up to this rivalry, each school’s student population will bring in cans of Vienna sausages to 1st period class to be donated to Help 4 Kids, a Florence non-profit organization. According to the organization’s website, after the weekend, many students return to school on Monday morning hungry, ill-tempered and not prepared for the school day because they had no food over the weekend while they were home. Each Friday, students who may not get fed during the weekend, receive backpacks filled with food items for Saturday and Sunday through Help 4 Kids. The organization says its goal is to make sure that these students return to school each week rested, fed, and prepared to learn. South Florence’s senior leader, Michael Mason, hopes to earn bragging rights this year, since West Florence won the competition last year. He also notes that this is a great opportunity to help those in need in the Florence community, while taking part in a friendly rivalry with another school. South Florence’s principal, Mrs. Kimberly Mack, is thrilled at how the students have paired the South Vs West rivalry with this very important outreach. “‘The big game’ and the food-drive is a ‘winwin’ for our students, the organization and community they serve,” Mack said. “We look forward to this event in the years to come.”
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