As the holiday season looms closer, various organizations nationwide are rallying the masses through canned food drives in attempt to stock food pantry shelves for the annual holiday rush. Lafayette is no different.

Starting Nov. 1, 1st Hour classrooms will begin collecting canned food in a frenzied race toward this year’s goal: 30,000 cans. In addition, Student Council (STUCO) will trick-or-treat for cans; student volunteers will station themselves outside grocery stores to collect additional goods and businesses will donate to the food drive.

At the apex of this massive movement is Assistant Principal Kitri Mehrotra. Last year, Mehrotra’s goal of 25,000 cans was exceeded when nearly 28,000 cans were collected. While a 30,000 can goal is lofty, Mehrotra is hopeful.

“I think we can do it. I calculated that we have 100 classrooms with 1st Hours, so if each teacher only [collects] 300 cans, we can get 30,000 cans. I’m so hopeful that teachers will participate because not all teachers participate. We’re trying to motivate the kids to get the teachers motivated in the classroom,” Mehrotra said.

However, can collection is not limited to 1st Hour classrooms. Students will also gather canned food at various grocery stores and through business donations.

“We have another phase where Dierberg’s donates all its dented cans for the month of November to us, so that’s another thing. The third phase is going to be can collection at the grocery stores every weekend in November at Walmart, Shop n’ Save and Schnucks,” Mehrotra said.

So where will the 30,000 cans go?

Circle of Concern is working with Lafayette for this canned food drive, and will pick up the donations in the beginning of December.

“Circle of Concern will again be participating. They really rely on us. This is one of the biggest donations that they get and this carries them through Christmas, so they really, really look forward to us doing this; they‘re kind of depending on us,” Mehrotra said.

Until pickup day, spreading awareness of the canned food drive and soliciting the help of students, teachers and community members will be necessary for success.

“I think word will get around if you motivate three or four other kids to do it in their 1st hour and get the teachers going. [Last year] we had four or five teachers who had over 1,000 cans. So that helped a lot,” Mehrotra said.

Besides donating cans, students can contribute by donating their time.

“We need kids to help us with volunteering. We’ll have Sign Up Genius all set up so kids can go on that and sign up to volunteer at the grocery stores on the weekends,” Mehrotra said.