Brownwood High School finished a canned food drive on Friday, April 16, which brought in 558 cans.  The canned goods will benefit two local causes, the Brown County Relay for Life and the food pantry at Good Samaritan Ministries.

First, the cans will serve as weights for electric luminaries for the Relay for Life at Gordon Wood Stadium on June 4th.  The luminaries will pay tribute to those who have been lost from cancer.  After the Relay, the canned goods will be donated to the food pantry at Good Samaritan Ministries.

Principal Bill Faircloth gave the students a special incentive for collecting the canned goods.  The second period class who donated the most cans would receive a pizza party with drinks, brownies and ice cream.

The winning class was Virgie Gerald’s reading class, donating 348 cans.  “Sharla Collins (student) was the one who really got us motivated,” said Mrs. Gerald.  Sharla brought over 100 cans in one day.  According to Mr. Faircloth, Sharla went to her neighbors and collected canned goods from them as well.  “I am extremely proud of these kids,” said Mr. Faircloth.

Mrs. Gerald said that several students in the class have family members or friends with cancer.  “It has touched their lives,” she said.

The can drive was a joint effort of The Chatfield Assisted Living, Lighthouse Hospice, Brownwood High School and several other local businesses and schools.  Also joining the effort are the BHS National Honor Society and the Key Club, who will help set out the luminaries and take them down.

Photo caption:  Mrs. Gerald and a few students in her reading class, Ryan Merchant, David McClimans, Marc Wallace and Jessica Dickey, stand with the canned goods BHS collected for the Relay for Life and Good Samaritan.