The Lane School Soup-er-Bowl Challenge

Submitted by Haley P (Grade 5 Student at the Job Lane Elementary School)

The Lt. Job Lane School is hosting a new challenge that will become an annual event called ” The Soup-er-bowl challenge.” We have raised well over a thousand non-perishable items so far and are continuing to bring in more to help our community.

All week, our school had hoped to exceed our goal of one thousand items that will be delivered to the Bedford Food Pantry.  We have made it to our goal and passed it with one thousand one hundred twenty eight items. Now, we are still bringing in more but we have about one thousand three hundred food items. This has been a great way to get children involved in projects to benefit our community and hometown.

This project started with two girls in a fourth grade class. Mr. Grey, the founder of the Bedford Food Pantry, came to Lane School to discuss his role with in the students. These particular girls found this fascinating about what this savior does. When they had realized that Mr. Grey has some challenges of his own, “We wanted to give this nice man more of what he loves to do!” said former fourth grader, now fifth grader, Hannah. So the two girls worked with their teachers, colleagues and staff members about starting a whole school project to do with the food pantry. This idea was originally only about a single class then it grew to be much bigger. Now that fourth grade class is paired with a fifth grade class to be in charge of this event.

The Bedford Food Pantry has seen an increase in donations since the idea sprung out last school year. Just recently, the ongoing project has had a spike of interest when a contest was conjured: the “Soup-er-Bowl challenge!” Now the classroom with the most items brought in to donate to this local cause, will receive a trophy.

The contest has grown to be almost exactly like the Super Bowl. The “Finals” are by grade. The winner of each grade is announced over the loudspeaker daily.  Those classes will have a chance to win the overall title “Champion of the Soup-er-Bowl Challenge!” Many classes have started to bring in items but the standard is that each class brings in at least forty-seven items, honoring the forty-seventh Super Bowl. The members of the Lane elementary school are certainly loving this new idea.