Students Donate Food, Money to Local Families for Thanksgiving

Students at Theunis Dey Elementary School walked in the annual Turkey Trot to help local families.

The students walked through a small, taped-off course in the gymnasium. Students then placed either money or non-perishable food into boxes at the end of the course. Art students decorated the boxes, which were filled up by the time the fifth graders had their turn through the course.

“I thought it would be good for the kids to see how much food can be donated in a day,” said school nurse Mary Soltis, one of the event’s co-organizers.

The food will be divided up and evenly distributed to about 10 Wayne families for Thanksgiving. Soltis and others will work with Wayne Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters. Students may continue to bring in donations throughout the week.

“We want to make sure that everyone is able to get something for Thanksgiving,” Soltis said. “There’s a real sense of community here in town and we want the kids to be a part of that.”

First-year principal Necole Fabris agreed.

“I came into this school and quickly saw that the it has a solid foundation of helping the community and I’m very happy to help the school community carry on that legacy,” Fabris said.

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