GREAT BEND–The Great Bend School Competition, sponsored by Gifting Forward, partnered with Wheatland Electric’s annual Cram the Van food drive to collect nearly four tons of food to benefit the Community Food Bank of Barton County.

Students from 12 area schools participated in a friendly food drive competition, collecting 7,501 pounds during October 2023.

Gifting Forward has again generously sponsored $1,500 in cash prizes for this year’s competition by awarding prizes to the top four schools with the highest pounds of food donated per student.

All donations were delivered straight to the Community Food Bank of Barton County in Great Bend, just in time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons.

This year’s collection brings the combined nine-year collection total in Great Bend to 82,631 pounds.

That’s over 41 tons of cash and non-perishable food items donated since the Cram the Van’s inception in 2014 ($1 donation equals 1 pound of food).

“This event not only gives our area students the opportunity to help those less fortunate than themselves, but also helps them to better understand how a small act of kindness on their part can make a huge difference in the lives of others,” said Mary Hoisington, member services and key accounts manager for Wheatland Electric. “All of this is made possible through the financial generosity and support of Gifting Forward.”