(Image Credit: CFJC News)

By Sydney Chisholm

March Madness food drive

Elementary principals bet on students and win for the Kamloops Food Bank

Mar 14, 2024 | 6:30 PM

KAMLOOPS – Over the last two weeks, the students at R.L. Clemitson and Dallas Elementary have been collecting food for their annual food drive — only this year, there’s a twist.

The two school principals waged a friendly bet on which school could collect the most food for the Kamloops Food Bank. The losing principal then has to dress head-to-toe in the winning school’s colours.

“We reached out to Dallas, which is our sort of neighbouring school, nice and close to us, and we thought we’d see if they were into it,” said Blake Buemann, principal of R.L. Clemitson Elementary in Barnhartvale. “We can make a bit of a game out of this. And so with the competition, we could raise some more food.”

And raise food, they did.

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Dallas Elementary filled three pallets with food, while R.L. Clemitson estimates it collected 1,200 kg.

“I’m not surprised. I mean, this has exceeded my expectations. But Dallas is a very generous community,” said Dallas Elementry’s principal, Claire Sullivan. “They always show up and donate. They’re also a very competitive community, so I am not surprised.”

Buemann says students have been learning about community involvement.

“We talk a lot with our students about giving back to the community and so this is a great opportunity for us to model that and do that together and it’s a great way to bring us all together,” he said.

The winning school will be determined on Friday (March 15) when the food bank weighs each of the school’s donations. The losing principal will wear their punishment the first day back from spring break.